voting

Facebook enhances timeline events with 'registered to vote'

Facebook users can post to their timelines that they have a new tattoo, they're learning how to play a new instrument, and other "life events;" and, as of today, they can also announce that they're registered to vote.

The social network is rolling out this new "life event" as the 2012 presidential election season heats up.

"Election Day in the United States is right around the corner and people are increasingly using Facebook to discuss candidates, campaigns, and critical issues facing the country," Facebook wrote in a blog post. "Starting today, … Read more

More than half of users polled would vote via mobile devices

Would you use your mobile device to vote in an election? A majority of people recently polled said they would, at least under the right conditions.

Among smartphone and tablet owners asked, 60 percent said they'd cast their vote for the next president through a mobile app or text message -- if they could do so without any fear of fraud.

Conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Internet radio provider Stitcher, the poll also found that 49 percent of mobile device owners ages 18 to 34 are using more apps to stay up to date on election information … Read more

Facebook uses peer pressure to bring out the vote

Facebook may be wielding the power of the polls with peer pressure. According to a new study, when users see that their friends have voted, they're far more likely to go vote themselves.

Titled "A 61-million-person experiment in social influence and political mobilization," the study examines the influence of Facebook friends on voting behaviors. It looks specifically at the U.S. elections in 2010 and concludes that the social network's "get out the vote" message brought more than 300,000 more voters to the polls.

"Our study suggests that social influence may be … Read more

Facebook and CNN launch the 'I'm Voting' app

As election season heats up, politics are increasingly taking center stage in Facebook discussions -- and now that's going to step up even another notch. The social network and CNN launched their "I'm Voting" app today.

Announced last month, the app lets users commit to voting while endorsing specific candidates and issues. The commitments are displayed on users' timelines, news feeds, and real-time tickers. This way (for better or for worse) users can show all of their friends who they are voting for and how they feel about certain issues -- like immigration, health care, and … Read more

Join the mile-high QR code voter registration club

In an effort to sign up 1.5 million new voters, Rock the Vote has been stashing its voter registration QR codes in all sorts of strange places. Recently, it was on T-shirts. Now it's way, way up in the air.

With an assist from Virgin America, Rock the Vote has gone airborne. The voter registration drive coincides with Virgin's new nonstop route from San Francisco to Washington D.C.… Read more

CNN and Facebook go all social on the 2012 election

Some Facebook users may not need that cardboard voting booth this year -- CNN and Facebook are partnering up to put that bright social media spotlight on voting in the 2012 election.

The media behemoths announced the partnership today, which includes a "I'm Voting" Facebook app that lets users commit to voting while endorsing specific candidates and issues. The commitments will then be displayed on users' timelines, news feeds and real-time tickers.

The app, which will be available in English and Spanish, will show which of your Facebook friends also supported the issue or candiate you voted … Read more

Rock the Vote registers voters with QR code T-shirts

Rock the Vote is credited with creating the first telephone voter registration system. Now it has introduced the first shirt-activated voter registration system.

The Scan to Vote T-shirt is part of a larger campaign aimed at signing up 1.5 million new voters before election day rolls around this fall. The shirts are available for $28 through Threads 4 Thought.

Scan the QR code printed on the shirt and you end up at the Scan to Vote Web site and can walk through the process of registering to vote online.… Read more

Low voter turnout means new Facebook privacy policy wins

So few people voted on proposed changes to Facebook's privacy and user rights policies that even though most of the votes were against the changes the company will be adopting the revised policies after all.

Only 342,632 people participated in the vote, which ran for a week and ended this morning, according to a blog post announcing the official results on the Facebook Site Governance page. That's less than 1 percent -- .038 percent to be exact -- of the total 900 million active monthly Facebook users. The results would be binding only if 30 percent of … Read more

Facebook users have a week to vote on privacy policy changes

Beginning today, Facebook users will have one week to vote on whether the company should adopt proposed changes to its privacy and user rights policies.

Facebook allows people to vote on revised policies if a revised policy gets more than 7,000 comments, which both its proposed Data Use policy and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities documents have in recent months.

To be binding, more than 30 percent of Facebook's 900 million-strong base of active monthly users (people who have either logged in or taken some action on the site in the last month) will need to cast votes. … Read more

Your vote could change Facebook's privacy policy

It's time to vote on Facebook policy, expect changes in Motorola, and give thanks in five words:

Within the coming days, expect the chance to vote on Facebook's privacy policy. Facebook recently made an amendment stating that if it announces a policy change and 7,000 users write comments on that announcement post, then Facebook has to put it up to a world-wide vote. Activists from the website our-policy.org encouraged people to post comments on a recent change, and it worked: more than 47,000 comments poured in, so its expected Facebook will open the change to … Read more