As the 2020 presidential election moves closer, multiple social media platforms are pushing for people to vote.

Upon logging into Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat, users will be greeted with a question on if they’re registered to vote. With Facebook and Instagram, there is also a voting information center that links to official pages on voting, including links to register to vote for those who haven’t already.

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are also providing fun facts about voting.

“Both voting in person and voting by mail have a long history of trustworthiness in the US,” and “Voting works the same way for all political parties,” says a fun fact from both Instagram and Facebook.

Not only does Snapchat provide a countdown to the presidential election, but you can also see how many Snapchat users have registered to vote.

According to Dr. Shino, a professor in the Department of Political Science, the way the presidential election is using social media could influence the voter turnout as well as who the public will vote for. 

First time voters who may not know all of the ins and outs of voting can turn to social media, which can provide all of the information that they may need when election day comes. Whether it’s Facebook or Instagram, these websites can navigate participants to where they need to vote and how to do so.

Dr. Shino went on to say that overall social media is a very helpful aspect to the voting process.

“If you are a first time voter, now it is easier for you to look up information, get more educated, get more informed about the election, and how you can participate in the elections, and therefore vote,” said Dr. Shino.