Table of Contents
Topline
Snapchat has helped more than 1 million users register for November’s presidential elections, with nearly two-thirds of those registered being 24 or younger, a stat that could turn out to be a boon for Joe Biden and the Democratic party.
65% of users who have signed up to vote through Snapchat are younger than 24.
Key Facts
Around 64.5% of users who have signed up to vote through Snapchat’s app are between the ages of 18-24, the company told Forbes in an emailed statement.
Snapchat says it has seen more signups to register in Texas than any other state, while other battleground states in the Sun Belt including Florida, Georgia and North Carolina are also seeing a large number of signups, although Texas and Georgia may be a bit of a reach for Biden.
During the 2018 midterms, more than 450,000 voters had registered through Snapchat and the company estimated that around 57% of them cast a ballot.
While 2.5 million voters have registered via Facebook, Snapchat’s user base is significantly younger, a demographic that heavily favors Joe Biden and the Democratic party.
Big Number
56%. That’s the percentage of first-time voters among the million Snapchat users who have signed up to vote in November, the company said.
Key Background
Social media platforms are attempting to avoid a repeat of 2016 when the likes of Facebook and Twitter saw Russia-backed election interference and the spread of misinformation. To counter this, all major social media platforms have established election-related initiatives to both encourage voting and curb the spread of misinformation. Facebook rolled out its voting-related resources for U.S. users in August. Twitter has also included tools to allow voters to register and view other election-related information within its app. Both platforms and YouTube have been adding labels about mail-in voting to counter misinformation on the issue. Earlier this week, TikTok launched an election guide within its mobile app with information about candidates and how to vote in each state. Unlike Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat, the Chinese-owned platform doesn’t allow voters to register directly through its platform, offering only information about the process.
Further Reading
TikTok Launches In-App Guide On U.S. Elections (Forbes)