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Snapchat will add in-app voter registration tools

Snapchat is hoping to get more young people to vote in this upcoming election with new voter registration tools that will live within the app. 

New features will start to roll out next month that include a voter checklist, a voter guide that gives more information on topics like voting by mail and ballot education, and even the opportunity to register to vote directly in Snapchat. The voting tools will reside in Snapchat’s “Discover” section. 

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Snapchat’s tools will include resources from organizations like the NAACP, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), BallotReady, Democracy Works, APIAVote, I am a Voter, Vote Early Day, National Voter Registration Day, and more. You can even fill out a sample ballot and get a countdown of how many days are left until the November 3 election. 

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The app also partnered with TurboVote, a tracker tool from Democracy Works, to build a Snapchat Mini that will monitor how many users register to vote through the app. Axios said Snapchat used similar tools on its platform for the 2018 midterms that resulted in 450,000 people registering to vote through the app.

These tools specifically target Gen Zers and younger millennials, who are statistically less likely to vote than the older generations. According to Statista, 53% of Snapchat users belong tho those younger generations and are between the ages of 15 and 25. 

Aside from Snapchat, other social media networks are gearing up for the November election and encouraging users to vote. Twitter rolled out election labels late last year to help users see which accounts are verified candidates in upcoming elections. 

Allison Matyus
Allison Matyus is a general news reporter at Digital Trends. She covers any and all tech news, including issues around social…
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