The features on the app will launch in early September and will include an in-app voter registration tool, user-specific sample ballots, a voter guide, and a checklist. This announcement is a suspected attempt to turn the scales on the voting demographics – encouraging more young people to vote this year. According to Snapchat, between 300,000-500,000 Snapchatters turn 18 each month, and navigating the voting process can be daunting for these first-time voters. This platform will also clear up any confusion around the recent changes in the voting process. Voting officials have recently expressed their concern that drastic changes to election procedures in response to the coronavirus will confuse voters in November. Dozens of states have expanded vote-by-mail access to give people an alternative way to safely cast a ballot in November. Multiple states have also set up more polling locations, and some are considering expanding the polling period to spread out people opting for in-person voting. As a new voter, all these changes will most likely intimidate and confuse younger citizens. Plus, given that more than 15 million young people have turned 18 since the last presidential election, Snapchat believes it has a responsibility to provide its user base with information regarding voting and civic engagement. Trump’s biggest advantage was among 50 to 64-year-old voters (51% to 45%), as well as those 65 and older (53% to 44%). This isn’t the first time Snapchat has fused politics and social media, though. The voter checklist card was debuted ahead of the 2018 midterms, which Snap says helped more than 450,000 users with voter registration for that election. So yes, this new feature from Snapchat is likely to make at least some difference. Encouraging younger people to vote in November, and making the whole process less intimidating, might very well be the turning point for this year’s election.
