Hack Challenge: Voters get tech savvy in Myanmar

With less than two months until Myanmar’s historic election, the country’s technology community mobilized to help voters through the MaePaySoh (Let’s Vote) Hack Challenge. Over 200 of Myanmar’s best developers signed up to participate in the competition to build the best apps, websites, and other digital products to provide voters timely and accurate information. The initiative was created by The Asia Foundation in collaboration with Myanmar Innovation Lab Phandeeyar, with co-funding from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Held at Phandeeyar, located in downtown Yangon, the initiative tapped talented local Myanmar developers to provide voters access to essential, non-partisan information in order to better understand the electoral process and make informed choices on the November 8 general elections. Other organizations supporting the MaePaySoh Hack Challenge include tech community groups Geek Girls Myanmar and Google Developer Group Yangon and civil society organizations like Charity Oriented Myanmar and Open Myanmar Initiative.