Karsen Wahal | Co-founder, National Director
Karsen is a sophomore at Stanford University. He’s interested in economics, data science, and politics, with a focus on leveraging quantitative skills to improve government policy and operations. Karsen co-founded The Polling Place in August 2020, and has since led its national expansion. Karsen has previously worked with government agencies, the U.S. Senate, nonprofits, and numerous Stanford faculty members. Through The Polling Place, he seeks to improve voter turnout and political efficacy, especially at the local level. In his free time, he enjoys watching sports, hiking, and playing with his dogs.
Jack Day | National Director (Website)
Jack is a junior at Arizona State University studying mechanical engineering. Although he’s entering a STEM field, Jack believes that staying politically informed – regardless of career or industry – is one of our responsibilities as citizens, and hopes to help The Polling Place ease the weight of that burden for others. In his free time, Jack likes to work on his garden, practice archery, and take pictures of the night sky.
Jade Wang | National Director (Social Media)
Jade is a freshman at Northwestern University. She’s interested in local government and investigative journalism. Jade loves to help out with local issues; she previously worked with Hayward City Council and passionate citizen activists to push for fair redistricting. Through The Polling Place, Jade hopes to improve voter education at the local level to ensure elected officials truly represent the population’s wants and needs. In her free time, Jade enjoys taking walks with her dog, listening to podcasts, and going on boba outings with her sister.
Catherine Jeon | National Director (Research)
Catherine is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. She is passionate about promoting social change and enjoys volunteering for organizations geared towards various causes, including climate justice, tutoring, and political awareness. She loves to study biology and debate, competing competitively with her nationally successful school teams. In her free time, Catherine can be found lost in a book, baking, or enjoying the latest songs.
Cameron Ake | National Director (Research)
Cameron is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. While she enjoys math, statistics, and computer science, she is also passionate about politics and elections. At The Polling Place, she hopes to apply this passion in a way that can help people. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her cats, hosting games with her friends, watching the live feeds on Big Brother, and listening to music.
Elly Kang | National Director (Outreach)
Elly is a senior at Marist School. She’s interested in data science, artificial intelligence, and politics. Elly is passionate about promoting diversity and educational opportunity, running and taking part in several related nonprofits and initiatives. She hopes to promote higher voter turnout through the Polling Place so that politicians take action indicative of who they represent. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her dog and listening to music!