Snapchat Adds New Voter Registration Tools Ahead of the US Election to Assist First-time Voters

Snapchat is rolling out a collection of new tools to encourage Snapchatters to vote in the upcoming US Presidential election, including registration, prompts, and new guides to assist first-time voters in having their say.

As reported by Axios, the new push from Snap will include four elements:

• Voter Registration – Through its new mini-apps, Snapchat’s adding a new “Voter Registration Mini” which will enable users to register to vote directly in Snapchat
• Voter Guide – Snapchat’s also adding a “Voter Guide” which will provide users with key voting information and notes, including resources from official partner organizations
• Before You Vote – Another mini-app, this will provide users with more insight into their voting options ahead of the poll
• Voter Checklist – Snapchat’s also adding a new, interactive platform to help ensure users are registered and ready for the vote.

And given Snap’s younger user base, this new push could be important, and could actually end up playing a key role in deciding who wins the November poll.

Back in May, a study published by Democracy Works showed that around 260,000 Snapchatters who registered to vote through Snap’s TurboVote process in 2018, went on to actually participate in the US Midterms, which may well have influenced the outcome of the vote. Another study from GlobalWebIndex found that 72% of 18-24-year-old Snapchat users, and 88% of 25-34-year-old Snapchatters, are planning to vote this November.

Given the last US Presidential election was decided by fewer than 200k votes in most seats, Snapchat’s efforts on this front can absolutely influence the final outcome, and encouraging civic participation among younger people is key to the future of the democratic process.

In 2020, it feels like we’re more politically aware than ever, and with the election race set to become more divisive in the coming months, it’ll be an almost inescapable campaign.

Young people are more engaged, more active on social issues. And if they want to ensure their views are heard, they will indeed need to get out and vote.

Snapchat’s efforts on this front are absolutely an important push.