Facebook to help 4 million Americans register to vote ahead of presidential polls

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the social media giant plans to help four million Americans register to vote ahead of the upcoming presidential elections. In an opinion piece published by a US publication, Zuckerberg said that Facebook is launching the largest voting campaign in American history since voting is the ultimate way to hold leaders accountable.

The American entrepreneur said that he believes Facebook could play a positive role in the elections by helping the citizens in the voting process. He added that Facebook has the responsibility to prevent voter suppression as well as actively support voter engagement, registration and turnout.

Naomi Gleit, VP of Product Management and Social Impact for Facebook, said in a blog post that the company is building a new Voting Information Center that will give accurate information about voting. It will also provide the tools needed to register social media users across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger, to help them get to the polls.

“By getting clear, accurate and authoritative information to people, we reduce the effectiveness of malicious networks that might try to take advantage of uncertainty and interfere with the election,” said Gleit.

Users will be able to get information about registering to vote or requesting an absentee or mail-in ballot at the Voting Information Center, depending on the rules in their state. According to Facebook, they will also be able to see local election alerts from their officials about changes to the voting process.

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New feature for political ads

The Voting Information Center will include posts from verified local election authorities with announcements and changes to the voting process. It will have information and links to help people plan their vote on Election Day, including when to vote, where to vote, and whether there are ID requirements. The Voting Information Center will be visible at the top of people’s Facebook and Instagram feeds.

After the controversy over political ads on social media, Facebooks announced that people will be able to turn off all social issue, electoral or political ads from candidates, Super PACs or other organisations that have the “Paid for by” political disclaimer on them. Users can do it on Facebook or Instagram directly from any political or social issue ad or through each platform’s ad settings.

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