Tier 1
Active nowEmail Verified
What you do
Sign up with an email address and click the magic link to confirm.
What we verify
You control an email inbox.
What you can do
Browse all officials, decisions, comparisons, and history. Cannot vote.
Verification, in the open.
One verified American, one vote per decision. Here's exactly how we confirm it. Browsing and voting at the registered-voter tier are free forever. Operations are funded by community donations and the Tier 3 verification fee.
Tier 2
Active nowRegistered Voter
What you do
Add your name, date of birth, state, and address. We match it against the voter file we maintain for that state.
What we verify
You are a registered voter in the U.S. (voter registration legally requires citizenship, so this confirms both).
What you can do
Cast votes. Your tally counts in the Registered Voter aggregate. Once you've cast ~30 votes, you'll be offered an upgrade to Tier 3 so your votes count in the headline score.
Tier 3
Coming Q4 2026Verified Checkmark
What you do
Choose one: receive a postcard at your registered address and type in the code, OR pay $3–5 via card for instant verification. Both produce the same Verified Checkmark.
What we verify
Either physical mailbox access (postcard path, for low-tech users) OR a paid commitment that ties a real card to your identity (Stripe path, for instant). Both demonstrate you're invested enough to upgrade past anonymous voting.
What you can do
Headline tier. Your votes count in the public 'Verified Citizen' aggregate that appears at the top of every official's bio page. You also receive a checkmark next to your name in vote tallies.
Every verified citizen casts exactly one vote per decision, regardless of tier. Verification level signals confidence in identity, not weight of voice.
How OSPO stays free + sustainable
Tier 1 (Email) and Tier 2 (Registered Voter) are free forever. No paywall to cast votes that count in the Registered Voter aggregate.
Tier 3 (Verified Checkmark) costs $3–5, whether you choose postcard (low-tech, slower) or Stripe (instant). Both paths produce the same checkmark, and the fee covers OSPO's operating costs (postage, hosting, voter-file refreshes).
Want Tier 3 to launch faster? Donations fund state voter-file acquisition (which expands Tier 2 reach) and bootstrap the postcard system (which unlocks Tier 3).
How OSPO compares
Most platforms hide their verification costs and methods. We publish ours because verifiable trust is the product.
| Path | Citizenship? |
|---|---|
| Driver's license upload (DIY) | No. DLs don't prove citizenship |
| Persona / Stripe Identity ($1–$3/user) | Partial: identity, not citizenship |
| OSPO voter-file match (Tier 2, free) | Yes. Voter registration legally requires U.S. citizenship |
| OSPO Tier 3 ($3–5, postcard or Stripe) | Yes. Verified to headline-score standard |