Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Your vote counts

As the U.S. prepares to head to the polls, we're making it easier than ever for everyone to participate in the political process. Last month, we made it simpler for people to register to vote. Now, we're taking this a step further and introducing a brand new, state-by-state guide for people looking for information on how to vote in November. We're also sharing some search trends to track the engagement and interest of American voters around the party conventions.

How to vote
Whether you're a first-time voter, a resident in a new state, or your state laws have changed since the last time you voted, you can now come to Google for information on how to vote in the upcoming election. This new in-depth search result provides information on ID requirements, deadlines, mail-in ballots and early voting. We hope this customized state-by-state guide will help you find the information you need quickly and easily to help get your voice heard.
Search trends
Since releasing our customized voter registration guide in Search last month, we're seeing millions of people coming to Google to learn more about voting and how to register in the U.S. In fact, compared to the same time four years ago, nationwide searches for voter registration are up 190 percent nationwide.

The map below shows a state-by-state breakdown illustrating how - and where - searches for “voter registration” have changed between 2012 and today. You'll find some of the highest spikes in the dark green states: California, New York, West Virginia, Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts.




We're committed to making it easy for people to find information, and have their voices heard in November. So we're also making the data that powers our “how to register to vote” and our “how to vote” search results publicly available, so nonprofits and organizations promoting voter education can benefit and expand the reach of this critical information.

We hope these insights and features inspire you to register to vote, exercise your civic duty, and get to the polls in November!

Posted by Emily Moxley, Product Manager, Search

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