Overview
CiviCents is a voter guide for the November 3, 2026 U.S. general election for iPhone. There is no account or sign-in. The developer does not run a server that receives your personal information, and CiviCents does not sync your data to any cloud service.
This policy explains what stays on your device, the few cases where information leaves your device, and who receives it.
Information We Collect
The developer does not collect personal information. CiviCents does not include advertising, analytics, or crash-reporting SDKs, does not track you across apps or websites, and does not sell or share your data. The Firestore SDK used to download public content sends basic technical information to Google, as described under “Downloading Public Content” below.
Data Stored on Your Device
The following data is stored only on your iPhone and is never sent to the developer:
- The topics you are interested in
- Your ZIP code and the House district you select
- Bookmarks for ballot measures and candidate comparisons
- Receipt entries you choose to save
This data is kept in the app’s own files and in app settings (UserDefaults). Saved receipt files are excluded from iCloud Backup.
Deleting the app removes all of it. Because the developer never receives this data, the developer cannot view it and cannot delete it on your behalf.
A bookmark only marks something you want to read again. It does not record how you plan to vote.
Location (Optional)
If you choose to find your district from your current location, CiviCents asks for permission to use your location only while you are using the app, and reads it once. Your district is worked out on your device using map data included with CiviCents. Your coordinates are not saved; only the district number is.
Address Lookup (Optional)
If you look up your district by typing an address, the address text is sent to Apple’s geocoding service, which turns it into map coordinates. Apple’s Privacy Policy applies to that request. The developer does not receive the address.
CiviCents then works out your district on your device from those coordinates and clears the address you typed. Only the district is saved.
Camera and Photos (Optional, Receipt Tool)
When you scan or choose a receipt, text recognition runs on your device using Apple’s Vision framework. The photo and the recognized text are not saved and are not sent anywhere. Only the receipt details you review and choose to save stay on your device.
Notifications (Optional)
Election day and registration deadline reminders are local notifications scheduled on your device. CiviCents does not use push notifications from a server and does not collect device tokens.
Downloading Public Content
Ballot measures, candidate lists, and results are downloaded from Google Firebase (Cloud Firestore). These requests do not include any account or personal identifier. Like other Firebase software, the Firestore SDK sends basic technical information — the SDK version, platform, iOS version and device model — that Google uses to understand SDK usage. As with any internet request, Google also receives your IP address. This information is not linked to you and is not used to track you. See Google’s Firebase privacy information at https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy.
CiviCents does not use Firebase Analytics, Crashlytics, Cloud Messaging, or Authentication.
Links to Other Websites
CiviCents links to official sources such as state election offices, the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, and candidate campaign websites. When you open one of these links, that website’s own privacy policy applies.
Children’s Privacy
CiviCents is not directed to children under 13. CiviCents does not collect personal information from anyone, including children.
Changes to This Policy
Any changes to this Privacy Policy will be posted on this page with a new “Last updated” date.
Contact
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact: Email: smhwang0715@gmail.com