YouTube has released a new feature focused on the U.S. Presidential Elections that are approaching. The feature is in the form of ''prompts'' that have been developed to enhance voter understanding of both candidates and the process of voting, encourage participation in voting, and tackle content that is spreading misinformation regarding voting.
The prompts will appear in searches related to voting, for instance: how to vote, or how to register for voting. A ''learn more'' button will also appear, by tapping which, users will be directed to Google's voting tools.
Moreover, YouTube is introducing in-app reminders related to the process of voting and registering, poll locations, and even volunteering at polls, which is supported by official information from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
In addition to that, YouTube is also launching two of its new Originals, which are aimed at providing important information to viewers about the elections. The Originals are called YouChoose 2020 and Kid Correspondent. The former would be an interactive voting special that would highlight the key steps of the voting process, while the latter has been created to to help families better understand civic engagement and the democratic process.
Data shows that about 38% of users use YouTube on a regular basis to get news-related information, hence making YouTube a significant and influential source of news and information on social media. Considering this, users are likely to follow the election-related news that the platform is providing.
Moreover, YouTube has also observed a rise in its viewership recently, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Plus, newspapers and other news outlets have also been shut down due to the pandemic, so even more people are turning to social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube to receive news content.
