If you were on Facebook, Instagram, or Messenger in the months leading up to the 2020 presidential election, your feeds were likely flooded with incessant reminders to register to vote.
The notifications, which contained a direct link to a user’s state registration website, were a part of Facebook’s plan to execute “the largest voting information campaign in American history.” In 2016, Facebook helped an estimated 2 million people register to vote. This year, Facebook’s goal was to encourage 4 million people to sign up to vote. Facebook’s Voting Information Center also provided information on how to request an absentee or mail-in ballot, depending on rules in an individual’s state.
This year, social media platforms played a much larger role in the election than ever before. From a marketing perspective, Facebook’s strategy was brilliant. According to a study by Socialbakers, 72% of U.S. citizens of voting age actively use some form of social media and a staggering 69% of citizens old enough to vote use Facebook alone.
Though there are still many mail-in ballots that have yet to be counted, voter turnout this year is set to be the highest since 1900. According to the U.S. Elections Project, more than 160 million votes were cast in the election so far, equating to a turnout rate of 66.9% of eligible voters.
Ultimately, Facebook’s voting information campaign was extremely successful and played a huge role in increasing the overall voter turnout among Millennials and Gen Z. The social media giant helped register a record 4.4 million voters, surpassing even its own goal for the 2020 election.
