Snapchat wants to be your go-to app on Election Day
Snapchat is adding more features to get its users hyped up to vote.
The app is getting a ton of new resources for Election Day, including "I voted" filters, polling locations in Snap Maps, themed Bitmoji, and election night live streams.
Like Instagram's "I voted" feature, Snapchat will offer "I voted" geofilters on Election Day. The app will also have filters counting down to the days before polls open. Additionally, Snap Maps will surface reminders to check out what's on your ballot and will show you the location of nearby polling places. Users' Bitmoji will also be decked out in election-themed attire for the occasion.
Snapchat will also curate special election-themed Our Stories, with snaps from users, reporters, and politicians.
These features could absolutely impact voter turnout. The app already succeeded in helping more than 400,000 users register to vote when it added a vote-registration feature. With so many first-time voters, combined with an already-young user base, it's possible Snapchat actually ends up making a sizable difference in the outcome in some districts on Election Day 2018. Older voters may take it for granted, but for an inexperienced voter, seeing polling locations or reminders to vote could mean the difference between showing up or staying home.
It's also notable that Snapchat is giving users a way to keep an eye on results. Good Luck America, one of Snap's original shows hosted by former political reporter Peter Hamby, will be live on election night to monitor results. The Washington Post as well as a handful of local news stations will also host live streams in the app.
Topics Snapchat Social Media
Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.
