Civana is a nonpartisan participatory democracy platform that gives communities a structured, accountable place to surface what matters to them — and hold their elected officials to it.
Representative democracy works when representatives know what their constituents actually believe. Right now, that signal is broken — replaced by cable news, party narratives, and campaign consultants. Civana puts the signal back in the hands of residents.
Civana doesn't take sides. It creates structure. Any resident can submit and vote on questions. The platform reflects the community — whatever that community believes.
Civana runs on Decidim — the same open-source participatory democracy platform used by hundreds of governments worldwide, including Barcelona and Helsinki. No proprietary lock-in. No black box algorithm.
This platform will not be monetized through advertising, data brokerage, or engagement optimization. Civic participation should not be a product someone sells.
"People march. People vote. And then nothing changes — because there's no mechanism that forces elected officials to answer for what they promised."
Civana began in Vancouver, WA in March 2026 — conceived by an Army veteran and 30-year IT professional who had spent years watching engaged, frustrated citizens show up at the ballot box with no real way to hold anyone accountable afterward.
The numbers back up the frustration. Only 17% of Americans trust the federal government to do the right thing most of the time — one of the lowest readings in nearly 70 years of polling. 67% say the government is outright corrupt. And only 37% of voters can name the second most important political story of the month — not because they don't care, but because the system gives them no real way in.
It's being built first for the WA-03 congressional district — one of the most genuinely contested districts in the country — with a national model to follow.
Civana asks something of residents too. Verified participation. Genuine questions. Good faith engagement across political lines. We can't demand answers from our representatives if we won't do the work of asking informed ones.
Democracy isn't something that happens to you. Civana is built on the belief that engaged, informed citizens are the other half of the equation.
Civana's first application is the People's Questions Forum — a structured process that turns resident concerns into a public debate agenda, with candidates on record.
Any verified WA-03 resident can submit the question they most want their congressional candidate to answer. No party filter. No moderation by ideology.
Residents vote up the questions that matter most to them. The platform surfaces consensus across political lines — questions that many people want answered, not just the loudest voices.
The top-voted questions become a formal public ask to every candidate. Their response — or non-response — is part of the public record. Declining is a choice voters can see.
Commitments made through Civana live on the platform. After the election, residents can return to see what was promised — and measure what was delivered.
Civana is looking for founding members — WA-03 residents, civic organizations, and people who believe this kind of accountability platform should exist everywhere. Early access opens in May 2026.
You'll be among the first to submit and vote on questions for your congressional candidates — before the August primary.
We're looking for nonpartisan partner organizations to help reach residents across the district. Interested in a conversation?
Civana is built on Decidim. If you know it — or want to — we'd love to hear from you.
No spam. No data selling. One email when early access opens — nothing else unless you ask.
We'll be in touch when early access opens in May 2026.
Thank you for caring about this.
Questions? [email protected]