Science

63,000 registered to vote in General Election via Snapchat


Social media continues to fuel the British political ‘youthquake’, encouraging more and more young people to head to the polls next Thursday and vote. 

A message sent out to all UK Snapchat users from ‘Team Snapchat’ last month resulted in more than 63,739 people registering to vote in the upcoming General Election. 

The app is favoured by younger people, with the majority of teenagers in the UK regularly using the image-based social media platform.  

The mass snap was sent out on November 12 – two weeks before the deadline to register on November 26, and one month before the nation decides its latest Prime Minister. 

Tim Crowley, head of campaigns at the Electoral Commission, told MailOnline: ‘We worked with Snapchat to encourage people to register to vote ahead of the 12 December election. 

‘This has been hugely successful with over 63,000 registration applications. 

‘It is particularly significant to see the number of applications from people under the age of 25, one of the demographics least likely to be correctly registered. 

‘Digital campaigns help us reach more people, and often people who might have previously not engaged in the democratic process.’

Snapchat is one of several organisations that has undergone a huge push to encourage young people to make sure they are eligible to vote in the crucial election, leading to hundreds of thousands of young Britons exercising their democratic right. 

This so-called ‘youthquake’ has been a crucial battleground for the vying political parties, with many keen to secure votes from the younger generations.  

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The mass snap was sent out on November 12, two weeks before the deadline to register on November 26. The message was the first time Snapchat has used this tactic, despite several other forays into civil engagement (pictured)

The mass snap was sent out on November 12, two weeks before the deadline to register on November 26. The message was the first time Snapchat has used this tactic, despite several other forays into civil engagement (pictured)

WHAT WAS THE MASS SNAP? 

A Snapchat was sent to all Snapchat users in the UK on November 12. 

It encouraged people to vote, and not to forget to register before the deadline two weeks later. 

A link was contained within which went straight through to the .gov website.  

Snapchat says more than 63,000 people registered to vote via this link. 

According to the Electoral Commission, 63,739 users clicked on the link and completed a registration form.

It does warn however, that it is impossible to say if this is the final number, as some may have already been on the register.

The message was the first time Snapchat has used this tactic in the UK, despite several other forays into civil engagement in the US, France, Germany and beyond.

The message, sent out to all users in the UK, using a geo-location setting similar to those found at large events, is to be followed up with filters and lenses in the continued run up to the election. 

For example, on the day of the election, a user can take a snap and apply an ‘I Voted’ filter or Lens, with a unique Bitmoji and confetti effect to celebrate.

According to the Electoral Commission, 63,739 users clicked on the link and completed a registration form.

It does warn however, that it is impossible to say if this is the final number, as some may have already been on the register. 

Encouragement to vote from Snapchat, and other youth-orientated outlets, may help address the worrying lack of young people exercising their right to vote. 

Recent figures from the Electoral Commission reveal one in three teenagers of voting age aren’t actually registered to vote.

More than a quarter (26 per cent) of eligible people aged 25-34 are not correctly registered, riding to 32 per cent for those aged 20-24. 

In contrast, 94 per cent of people 65 and over are registered to vote.  

Ed Couchman, UK General Manager at Snap, told MailOnline: ‘Snapchat was designed to empower our users to express themselves and there’s no more powerful form of self-expression than exercising your right to vote. 

‘This month, many Snapchatters in the UK will be voting for the first time and we are proud that our partnership with the Electoral Commission helped over 63,000 people to complete the application to register. 

‘We are also committed to doing our part to ensure our community turns up at polling stations around the country next week.’ 

The mass Snapchat, sent out to all users in the UK using a geo-location setting similar to those found at large events, will be followed up with filters and lenses in the continued run up to the election. Pictured, what the Snap map will look like on election day

The mass Snapchat, sent out to all users in the UK using a geo-location setting similar to those found at large events, will be followed up with filters and lenses in the continued run up to the election. Pictured, what the Snap map will look like on election day 

On the day of the election, a user can take a snap and apply a 'I Voted' filter filter or Lens, with a unique Bitmoji and confetti effect to celebrate (pictured)

On the day of the election, a user can take a snap and apply a ‘I Voted’ filter filter or Lens, with a unique Bitmoji and confetti effect to celebrate (pictured)

In the 2017 General Election, only 57 per cent of 18 and 19 year-olds and 59 per cent of 20 – 24 year olds voted.

Snapchat is well placed to tackle this issue, as it reaches a wider range of people than both traditional media and Facebook and Twitter. 

It claims to reach over 80 per cent of 13-24 year-olds in the UK — more than its other social media rivals. 

Targeting the younger demographic has been a tactic throughout the election campaign, with Boris Johnson accused of fixing the election date so university students will be unlikely to vote. 

Ex-Tory MP Karl McCartney blamed the students of the University of Lincoln for losing his seat in 2017, as the booming student population in the city gifted Labour the constituency with a meteoric increase in vote share of 8.3 per cent.

The mass snap on November 12 was the first time Snapchat has used this tactic in the UK, despite several other forays into civil engagement. Continued filters will aim to encourage users to head to the polls

The mass snap on November 12 was the first time Snapchat has used this tactic in the UK, despite several other forays into civil engagement. Continued filters will aim to encourage users to head to the polls 

Snapchat says it has been encouraging people's participation in democratic events for some time, including in the US, Germany and France. However, this is the first time UK users received a election-focused message

Snapchat says it has been encouraging people’s participation in democratic events for some time, including in the US, Germany and France. However, this is the first time UK users received a election-focused message 

A filter saying 'I voted! Have you?' will also be available closer to the election (pictured) as Snapchat claims it will continue to allow its users to engage with matters that matter to them

A filter saying ‘I voted! Have you?’ will also be available closer to the election (pictured) as Snapchat claims it will continue to allow its users to engage with matters that matter to them

Rapper Stormzy has also been seen as a figure head for the so-called ‘youthquake’, encouraging people to go out and vote. 

His pro-Labour tweet pushing people to vote saw the official Government website receive an influx of applications, resulting in a total of 351,000 people signing up between November 24 and 25.

Prior to the deadline, a social media craze swept Twitter with people posting misleading messages with a link, tricking people to access the register to vote site.   

The clickbait messages included one from a social media influence that private images had been taken from her and she had ‘decided to release all the intimate images myself’.

Another, from Harry Potter star Mat Lewis, captured the collective imagination of the devote fans by tweeting that a new film with original cast was going to begin shooting in 2020.

But the link on these messages went through to the .gov website where people register to vote.  

HOW IS SOCIAL MEDIA HELPING TO ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE IN POLITICS?

Targeting the younger demographic has been a tactic throughout the election campaign, with Boris Johnson accused of fixing the election date so university students will be unable to vote. 

Rapper Stormzy has also been seen as a figure head for the so-called ‘youthquake’ following his vocal support of Labour.

His pro-Labour tweet pushing people to vote saw the official Government website receive an influx of applications, resulting in a total of 351,000 people signing up between November 24 and 25.

Prior to the deadline, a social media craze swept Twitter with people posting misleading messages with a link, tricking people to access the register to vote site.  

Snapchat claims both Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Conservative Premier Boris Johnson are using the platform to reach people that traditional media does not reach. 

According to the picture-focused site, Snapchat reaches over 80 per cent of 13-24 year-olds and reaches more 13-24 year-olds than Facebook or Instagram.

On the day of the election, a user can take a snap and apply a ‘I Voted’ filter filter or Lens, with a unique Animoji and confetti effect to celebrate. 

Facebook’s front page had a reminder to register to vote, while Twitter has been a focal point for younger generations to gather ahead of the election. 

Memes and GIFs are abound, with all scandals and policies catching the attention of the internet users.

Official channels have been used and manipulated on Twitter too, with the Conservatives having a catastrophic start to their campaign. 

The official Twitter account, CCHQ, came under criticism for masquerading as an official fact-checking site during a live televised Jeremy Corbyn interview. 

It also tweeted out a video of a Labour candidate which had been doctored to give the impression oh incompetence. 

Twitter itself, has implemented a ban on all political adverts on the site that violate its terms of use. 

If they are deemed to be false or misleading, users can not like or retweet them. 

Facebook however, has taken a contrasting stance, saying it will will not ban political advertising and let people make up their own minds about content. 





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