As the United States prepares to celebrate National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, Facebook Inc. announced on Monday that it has helped 2.5 million American people register for the 2020 US presidential election via its Facebook, Instagram and Messenger platforms.
The company said in a news release that the figure was part of its primary goal to register at least 4 million voters before the registration deadlines across all US states. Facebook said that registering 2.5 million people in the registering campaign started last Saturday is “a promising start”, adding, “We have more work to do”.
“With six weeks until Election Day and registration deadlines fast approaching in many states, this week we’re putting the full force of our platform behind this campaign to empower every eligible voter to make their voice heard in this election,” Facebook stated.
Facebook’s registration campaign includes showing users on Facebook, and the company's Instagram, information about the registration process at the top of the page, before redirecting them to their state’s website to complete the process. The information campaign is said to last through Friday.
The social media company will also start on Monday a “More Questions, More Answers” campaign to raise US voter awareness by encouraging them to visit Facebook’s Voting Information Centers “to help ensure their vote is counted in this election”.
Facebook is also planning to launch a virtual “vote-a-thon”, where various celebrities will encourage Americans to register and take part in the 3 November vote.
The company also said it will launch an information campaign about voting in person, as well as how to use vote-by-mail options in various states, as this year’s election is coming amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Earlier this month, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the social platform would not run political ads beginning one week before Election Day, to avoid misinformation. In addition, Zuckerberg and his spouse said that they would donate $300 million to ensure that the November vote takes place under safe and secure conditions. The CEO also said that the company's apps will remind users to vote before Election Day.
Last week, Snap Inc. announced registering over 400,000 Americans eligible to vote via its Snapchat app, according to The Hill.
The US general election is scheduled to take place on 3 November, in which Republican President Donald Trump is seeking re-election against Democratic presidential nominee and former US vice president, Joe Biden.