Civic Presence / An initiative by Civora
Public voices. Inside the chamber. Civic Presence proposes a designated place inside a state legislative chamber where approved members of the public can appear live from home, in holographic style, using their real voice and likeness.
A state-chamber pilot is our first target. Government authorization and approval of the required chamber-rule changes must come first.
Our starting commitments
Free to be heard.
Real people. Live voices.
Permission before deployment.
01 / The approach
Distance, disability, caregiving and cost can keep people outside public proceedings. Civic Presence proposes a visible place inside the chamber so lawmakers can hear directly from people who cannot travel. This is not simply a remote-comment portal or a screen outside the chamber: public presence belongs within the decision-making space, during an authorized portion of proceedings.
Seek one state legislative chamber willing to authorize a limited pilot in its actual decision-making space. Engage chamber leadership, the presiding officer, the relevant rules committee, clerks, legal counsel, accessibility staff, IT and security. An informal demonstration is not authorization to participate in proceedings.
Publish eligibility, speaking limits and a transparent selection process, such as a lottery among eligible applicants. No membership, participation fee or specialist equipment; plan loaned devices and connectivity support where needed.
Use live, consent-based video with verified identity, captions and accessibility options. No synthetic voice or avatar substitution. Agree on identity verification, explicit consent for transmission and recording, minimal data retention and operator checks against impersonation. Include captions, interpretation options, audio access and a safe fallback for connection failures.
Evaluate projection onto transparent material or a staged optical display in a designated chamber area. Test sightlines, lighting, audio and latency. More advanced volumetric capture would require added equipment, space and a separate feasibility review.
02 / A testable beginning
A proposed roadmap, not a launch announcement. No large platform before a willing government partner.
Days 01–30
Produce a partner shortlist, stakeholder interviews and an authorization checklist covering procedural rules, political neutrality, public-record obligations and accessibility.
Days 31–60
Draft a pilot agreement, selection policy, privacy and security assessment, equipment budget and consent process. Rehearse with volunteers in an approved chamber setting or its test configuration.
Days 61–90
If permission is secured, conduct a limited live pilot during an approved speaking period. Measure connection reliability, caption quality, visibility, selection fairness and participant comfort; publish findings and a go/no-go recommendation.
Before a live session, deliver written authorization, a chamber-approved operating plan and a tested accessibility fallback. Track completed speaking slots, interruptions, caption accuracy, sightline checks and participant feedback against thresholds agreed with the partner. If approval is delayed, the 90-day deliverable is a readiness report—not a claimed launch.
Fund participation.
Don’t sell access.
Seek civic grants, philanthropic support and transparent government pilot funding to cover equipment, staffing and accessibility. Funding must never buy speaking priority. A successful state-chamber pilot could support a future congressional proposal. Congress would require its own authorization, procedural review and any necessary rule changes; technology alone cannot grant access to its floor.
Before a live pilot
Counsel and chamber staff must resolve speaking eligibility, procedural authority, public-record and retention duties, privacy and recording consent, cybersecurity, procurement and physical safety. The partner must also agree on viewpoint-neutral selection, a complaints process and how to prevent funders or political interests from influencing access. Lighting, sightlines and connection failures need a chamber-tested operating plan.
03 / Build the first step
For government teams, accessibility advocates and civic funders: begin with a conversation about one authorized space, a fair process and a small, accountable test.
Discuss a pilotSeeking collaborators. Public speaker applications are not yet open.