On Sept. 23, Facebook users who are 18 and older saw a reminder to register to vote on the top of their homepages. This innovative tactic was born from the success of a similar campaign the company launched in May, where nearly 200,000 voters registered on the California Secretary of State’s website.
“We thought we had a unique ability and responsibility to show people this reminder that they should be checking their registration so they can participate in the election,” Facebook’s director of government outreach, Katie Harbath said in a USA TODAY article.
Harbath is right. With a vast number of American users who log onto the social media website everyday, it feels likes a no brainer that Facebook would be a prime platform to advertise voter registration.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 35 percent of eligible voters are not registered in the United States. During every election cycle there is always a discussion on what we can do to get voters to register, so what better way to get the vote out then to make registering something that is convenient?
Some eligible voters may be unaware of how easy it is to register to vote. It seems that they are stuck thinking they have to drive to the DMV and wait hours in line. If someone click on Facebook’s “Register Now” button it takes them to the federal government’s website (vote.usa.gov) which gives them a step by step guide through the process of registering in their state. The process of registering to vote has been made almost as simple as signing up for a Facebook account.
Facebook jumping into the voter registration push may leave people wondering whether other social media websites will join in. Twitter could offer a process just as easy as Facebook and would reach more 18 to 24-year-olds than Facebook. This demographic is one that has historically been a struggle to get to register and to show up at the polls. Using Twitter, Snapchat, o some other media is the way to capture those potential voters’ attention and urge them to register.
It is not just social media platforms doing their part in getting out the vote. Websites and prominent public figures are joining in, sharing their advocacy for voters to register. It is all well and good to endorse registering to vote, but without following up with encouragement to actually go out a vote would make it all go to waste.
Will these movements show their support on Election Day?
With these campaigns getting involved, it could become crucial come Nov. 8. With many people worried about the outcome of the current election, getting people aware and excited to vote could very well be a deciding factor in who becomes the next President of the United States.
Due to Facebook’s new tactics and increased focus on voter registration, the otherwise catastrophic presidential election of 2016 will leave the United States with the highest voter turnout in history.
