With the US Midterms fast approaching. Snapchat also detailed some of the steps that it’s taking to encourage users to vote or at least register, in preparation for the upcoming polls. Snapchat has proven itself to be a key connector on this front, with its reach to younger audiences helping to raise awareness around civic participation and improving political engagement among younger groups.
The Terms of Mid
Snap’s latest efforts seek to encourage more youngsters to register, thus being able to better share their voice, while simultaneously launching its new ‘Voting 101 Hub’ in the app. The new hub is said to provide instructional videos on how to participate. To start, let’s take a look at registration – partnering with BallotReady, Snap has launched a new in-app tool that will help guide users through the voter registration process.
Snap has seen huge success in the last with its ‘Ivoted’ type stickers, allowing users to advocate and share their experiences within the app. This type of organic content engagement activity can play a big role in influencing behavior, and Snap’s looking to lean into this where it can to boost take-up and interest. Meanwhile, the new Voting 101 Hub will include a range of instructional videos on all aspects of the voting process.
As explained by Snap:
“We’ve developed these tools in partnership with Nonprofit Vote, Vote Early Day, Power the Polls, BallotReady, Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights Under the Law, and VoteRiders. As always, we will leverage Augmented Reality to enhance the real world around us. Snapchatters will be encouraged to register and get out the vote through fun Lenses and Filters – and more importantly, encourage friends to do the same.”
In the lead-up to the midterms, Snap’s team of content curators will also feature local map Stories that highlight voter engagement content as another incentive that encourages participation. Again – all of these new measures can have a big impact. Snapchat says that its various in-app prompts have helped over 30 million people to access voting information in 2020. Meanwhile, it has also inspired 4 million users to learn more about their opportunities to actually run for office in 2021.
Here’s another significant note:
“Research by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement’s (CIRCLE) found that during that election cycle, Snapchat’s tools especially helped register Black youth, as well as young Americans that are unlikely to have gone to college – groups that tend to be under-invested in by campaigns and organizations, and underrepresented in the electorate.
The Wrap
This is an important consideration, and with Snap remaining a key connector for younger audience groups, it must continue to provide educational resources and guides like this to help users learn and understand more about civic participation and what their voices contribute to the overall process.
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