This is the newest of several attempts to organize for a potentially chaotic voting and vote-counting process. Google announced last month that it might ban US election-related ads after the polls close on November 3rd, attempting to forestall candidates prematurely claiming victory. It’s published updates on potential hacking campaigns concerning the election, added panels on YouTube addressing voting-related misinformation, and introduced a Google News hub for the 2020 elections, among other changes. As of earlier this month, users also can find polling places with Search or Maps.
The company has offered these sorts of features in previous elections, and it partnered with the AP in 2016 for an “election buzz” tool. But digital platforms are under particular pressure to supply accurate information during the 2020 election. Many votes could also be received by mail days after the polls close, giving unverified stories many time to spread across sites like YouTube and Google Search.
Other web platforms are introducing similar informational tools for the election. Yesterday, Twitter added a banner telling users that election results could be delayed and offering information about mail-in voting. Facebook is additionally adding an aware of its apps