There has been much frenzy about the upcoming state elections. Indian parties are gearing up for polls and campaigns, while Election commissions are hiring more staff to ensure that the Vote Day activities are conducted smoothly.
Elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur are around the corner. While there are media polls which suggest a winning streak of a certain political party, Facebook has ushered in two innovative tools to bolster civic participation.
A “Polling Day reminder “ will be showing on top of all profiles of people above 18 years of age. This will consequentially ensure that all people who are eligible to vote are aware well before time regarding the big day.
According to observations, not all eligible voters show up on the vote day. This is the reason why this movment has been initiated by Facebook.
“The reminder will be linked to the Election Commission’s website where people can find details on their polling booth and other information in nexus with the polling day.
“We want to encourage civic participation that is why we have created tools to make it easier for people to participate and have a voice in the process,” Ankhi Das, Director of Public Policy for Facebook in India and South and Central Asia expressed in a statement.
A tab called ‘Share You Voted’ button’ will also be available on the profile. People will have the option to share with their friends that they have voted by clicking on the ‘Share You Voted’ button.
By clicking the button, people can highlight their status as a voter to their Facebook friends, without actually disclosing who they voted for.
What’s more? Political candidates and elected officials in India will be showered with an opportunity of sharing a brief (200 character) description of their position. Not only this, candidates could also create a custom set of issues on which they would want to shed light.
This practice was started in 2008 when prior to US Elections, Facebook posted on profiles to remind all State residents to ensure that all are reminded in time for Vote day.
