PEORIA MAGAZINE April 2023

S P O T L I G H T

‘DEMOCRACY NEEDS A SHOT IN THE ARM’ And Bradley graduate Jonathon Braun is looking to provide it with his Perikles voter information app

BY BOB GRIMSON PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

A first-time voter in 2016, Jonathon Braun admits he really didn’t know anything about races other than presidential when he went to the polls. Because of that, “I really didn’t want to ever vote again.” In 2018, Braun decided to change that. He and a friend, a new U.S. citizen, researched every person and question on the midterm ballot. “That took an entire day and we couldn’t get all the information we wanted,” said Braun, a 2020 graduate of Bradley University with a degree in computer systems. Enter Perikles.

Initially focusing on student voters at area universities such as Bradley, Illinois State and Western Illinois, the nonpartisan Perikles uses background, qualification and policy information from credible sources, which are personally vetted by Braun to ensure they aren’t out of context. This helps get the word out about judicial and minor party candidates where information may be limited. It’s the focus on down-ballot races that appealed to Tyler Hodges, a Chicago tax accountant and childhood friend of Braun. The pair reconnected while at Bradley. “These races are important but often overlooked,” Hodges said. “I think (this information) has more dramatic effects at the local level than the federal level.” Hodges, a member of the Perikles board, also sees the app as a way to make voting more accessible and understandable for younger voters and students. Candidates can link off the app, which is available for free download on both Apple and Android platforms. The recent midterm election cycle “went better than I expected. I got a lot of support from politicians. It was very bipartisan,” said Braun, who specifically mentioned the participation of local

legislators Dave Koehler and Travis Weaver. While his 2022 election coverage spanned five counties – Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Knox and Fulton – polling place information policies by Google Civic API will limit Perikles’ use in the spring local elections in central Illinois. Despite this snag, Braun hopes to stretch east, to Bloomington Normal and Champaign-Urbana, to take advantage of the large student populations. Then, hopefully, comes statewide availability. Braun has spoken with the state Board of Elections and county clerks or voting commissions in all 102 counties. The app also can provide information about polling place changes, nearby political events, or candidate position switches. Users can mark their preferred candidates for future reference. The app’s one absolute rule is no muckraking. Braun said the focus is on the candidate’s plans, not opponent bashing. He also keeps his personal political beliefs off the app. “That’s what I want to shine a light on, who has the ideas. It’s up to the people, in a democracy, to decide what’s good and what’s bad. None of it is my opinion, ever.” Braun set up Perikles as an educational nonprofit to work with schools and

‘I WANT THE AVERAGE PERSON, NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE, TO FEEL COMFORTABLE VOTING’ — Jonathon Braun

Named for the ancient Greek statesman and military leader who supported democracy in Athens, Braun’s nascent voting app aims to give voters easily accessible, accurate information about those lesser-known candidates and races, including referendums and ballot initiatives.

86 APRIL 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE