Everything we know about Oath.Vote

We did the research so you don’t have to!

Wanna make your dollars count?

"Oath.vote leverages your individual contributions with the tools once reserved for billionaire philanthropists, created by an analyst who once advised the rich and powerful how to direct their dollars for the greatest impact.  The heart of Oath.vote is an algorithm that produces a proprietary impact score of 0–10, based on competitiveness, stakes, and financial need. Donating through oath.vote turns rage donations into wildly effective donations for enacting your Democratic and Progressive political values. Oath.vote empowers real people with analysis once reserved for the elite — check it out and feel the power of knowing the impact of your donation."

How do they do it?

Oath.vote, launched in 2022, leverages your individual contributions with the tools once reserved for billionaire philanthropists. The website name honors their signal criteria for candidates: that they will uphold their oath of office. Brian Derrick and Taylor Ourada are the duo behind the website that gives regular Janes and Joes like us the power to donate to Democratic and Progressive causes and campaigns with power, principle, and wisdom. 

“As a fundraiser for Democratic members of Congress, Brian Derrick worked with highly-paid donor advisers who helped wealthy people decide where their dollars would make the most difference.” time.com

The heart of oath.vote is an algorithm that produces a proprietary impact score of 0-10. “The higher the score, the greater the value of your donation in that race.” The score is based on competitiveness, stakes, and financial need. According to their website, “In 2024, Oath donors helped break the Republican [House] supermajority in North Carolina.”

Oath.vote is supported by HigherGround Labs, who state they are “In the business of Saving Democracy,” and “a venture fund and ecosystem builder investing in technology for political progress.” Derrick and Ourada have built a website that factors in all three crucial considerations - competitiveness, stakes, and financial need - when deciding where to send your $5 rage donation for the greatest impact. 

Financial need: This is the part that sounds like what the donation platform that you get all those texts from does: “So and so is in a tight race against a horrible opponent and we need your help right now!”

“Approximately $1B went to Democratic candidates running for US Senate in 2024 but less than one third went to highly competitive races (decided by less than 5%),” according to Oath.vote. 

There are 2 crucial differences, however. Oath.vote doesn’t text you constantly (or at all depending on your preferences), and they factor in other factors that make your donation powerful as a strategy, not simply an outlet. 

“Giving through Oath in 2024 looked different. Over 67% of donations went to races decided by less than 5%. Our algorithm is remarkably effective at identifying high impact races– even downballot where there’s little to no polling.” This is an important difference, since down ballot races are the depth for the fight. These are the people who will be running for the top of ballot races in years to come, shaping public policy and affecting the everyday lives of individuals. 

Stakes: They assess the likelihood that your donation will actually help achieve your selected cause. The fact of the matter is that some of those $5 rage or instant donations go to campaigns that sadly aren’t in real contention, or have already enough in their coffers to get the job done, so your money could have had greater impact elsewhere. 

Competitiveness: The algorithm tracks race competitiveness as a function of margin, polling, and opponent strength. Because that picture shifts as money flows in, recommendations update weekly so your dollar always goes to where it's currently needed most. This is an incredibly powerful part of their algorithm and part of how they have changed the game. Not only are they funneling donations to races up and down the ballot, but they are evaluating the relative needs of campaigns using publicly available resources on a weekly basis. Your dollars go where they can do the most to enact your values at the time of your donation. 

There are autopiloted, issue and candidate driven options for how you donate your money. Oath.vote empowers real people with analysis once reserved for the elite. Check it out and feel the power of knowing the impact of your donation. 

Get out there and VOTE!

In Solidarity,

Angry Knit In Team with support from 

Christine Stump of Solidarity Stitchers, New Mexico

Register to Vote BEFORE Election Day 

• Type: "YOUR STATE" VOTER REGISTRATION into your browser. 

• Ensure you choose your state's official government website. 

• Most states allow you to register to vote through the DMV or at your local County Clerk's office. 

• You may be able to get a 'Provisional Ballot' at your district polling location the day of the vote

Register to Vote BEFORE Election Day 

You can use VOTE.ORG or follow the steps below

• Type: "YOUR STATE" VOTER REGISTRATION into your browser. 

  • Find "Check Voter Registration Status" or a similar option

  • Enter the required information

  • Review the information on file for accuracy and follow the provided steps if there are any inaccuracies

• Note - Ensure you choose your state's official government website. 

  • Never type personal identifying information into a site you are not sure of.

• Most states allow you to register to vote through the DMV or at your local County Clerk's office. 

• You may be able to get a 'Provisional Ballot' at your district polling location the day of the vote

Yes - YOU actually need to know what is on your Ballot

• Stay informed through Ballotpedia,  your local news outlets, and use a media bias fact checker to see the factuality rating of sources

• You can go to your local state, city, and county websites for the most up to date information

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION

Due to the short notice changes of voting locations it is import to pay close attention to your local information. As we saw in Dallas, last minute changes can highly disrupt voters heading to the ballot box. 

• Vote early if you can

• Sign up for local alerts

• Contact your state/county/city voting office (usually called registrar or county clerk but may be named differently in your local area) 

Vote and Vote Early!

Early voting by mail or in person 

• helps you avoid lines at the ballot box 

• ensures your vote is received by the proper authorities

• supports democracy

• 
  

Contact

• Your state/county/city voting office 

• (usually called registrar or county clerk but may be named differently in your local area) 

Helping others to the ballot box is a win for us all! 

You can support getting out the vote in your community by;

• Providing transportation

• Registering others to vote

• Becoming a poll worker

• Asking your community what barriers to access they have and supporting their needs

Not in the USA? You can still Vote!

• If you are an absentee voter, in the military, a student studying abroad, or have moved to another country and retained your United States Citizenship - YOU CAN VOTE!

• Contact your local consulate or embassy for instructions on casting your ballot

• Options may include, mail, in person at the consulate/embassy, and vote by fax