Dismal voter participation in the US – even at Presidential elections – is a persistent problem. With voting infrastructures viewed as outdated, Voatz is a social enterprise which is aiming to further democracy and freedom by allowing us to vote directly from our smartphones.

In a bid to get Britain's young people down to the polling station, Channel 4 is hitting them where it hurts – the 8.7 million 16- to 34-year-olds that watch E4 will have to go without on election day. But will depriving Gen Y of their favourite channel be enough to get them to engage with politics?

Young Brits are politically minded. 70% think social media should be used for social change, and a quarter are highly knowledgable about politics. Yet only 12% would definitely vote in a general election. Why are they so disillusioned? And is engaging via social media the answer?

For the first time ever, Gen Y voters outnumber Boomers. But while they're a voting force to be reckoned with, few people in this group are fully engaging with politics. Brigade is an app that gives simple answers to complex questions and tries to put the power back into voters' hands.