Skip to main content

Haven't registered to vote yet? Just text HelloVote and get it done

electionland google trends map 2016 election polling issues voting ballot box registration elections voter turnout curtain fe
Scukrov/123RF
You’re running out of excuses to not vote in November.

Or, at the very least, your excuses to not be registered are dwindling. From Google’s new registration search feature to a new chatbot based tool called HelloVote, the impetus to exercise your civic duty this year is stronger (and more technologically driven) than ever. HelloVote is a new bot that helps people with smartphones (72 percent of American adults, according to Pew Research Center) register to vote for the new president in just seven weeks. Capable of registering voters in every state in the U.S., the bot promises to be as efficient as it is easy, taking just 90 seconds to register the average voter.

Starting Thursday, those who wish to take part in the democratic process can go to hello.vote, text 384-387 on their smartphone, or go to m.me/hellovote in Facebook Messenger to begin registering. The tool is meant to help millennials and minorities, two groups that are slated to have a massive impact on the results of this historic election.

“HelloVote takes the registration process right to the voter — instead of the other way around, and may make millennials, immigrants, and communities of color the decisive game-changers in this closely contested election up and down the ballot by leveraging up-to-date technology and social media,” HelloVote said in a statement its product launch.

The bot has the support of a number of big names across industries, including MTV, General Assembly, SEIU, Latino Victory Project, West Elm, and Twilio, whose CEO signed an open letter decrying Trump’s presidential bid this summer. HelloVote’s supporters have pledged to help raise awareness about the new registration tool.

“Democracy depends on participation, and technology has the power to significantly reduce barriers that have traditionally stopped people from voting,” said Twilio VP Patrick Malatack in a statement. “By making it easier for people to sign up from anywhere, on any mobile phone with no internet required, HelloVote has streamlined the voter registration process. We are excited to see more people getting out and voting in 2016 as a result of this valuable service.”

Ultimately, HelloVote seeks to bring the rather antiquated voter registration process into the 21st century, explained co-founder Tiffiniy Cheng in an interview with Refinery 29. “Voter registration can be pretty difficult and something that most people don’t love to do. At the same time, we’re at a point in history when messaging is the way that people communicate and how they get their news,” she said. “So we’re really bringing voter registration up to the modern times.”

Cheng concluded, “People are texting all day, every day. Now, they can use what they do every day to register to vote.”

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Did you register to vote? Chances are good that Facebook played a role
glassdoor best places to work facebook sign feat

Clicktivism has evolved into action.

According to election officials, Facebook has driven "substantial increases" in voter registration numbers the country over, and all it took was a 17-word reminder. Back in September, the social media giant began placing messages atop the News Feeds of users aged 18 and over, urging them to register online.
The message was simple -- “Are you registered to vote? Register now to make sure you have a voice in the election,” the message read. Also attached to the reminder were two links: one to a federal directory of state voter registration websites, and the other inviting users to share that they'd already registered.
For four days, Facebook-ers across the nation saw the call to action, and as the New York Times reports, "at least nine secretaries of state have credited the social network’s voter registration reminder ... with boosting sign-ups, in some cases by considerable amounts."

Read more
Haven’t taken your vacation yet? T-Mobile is offering free data for when you do
free trip to mars anyone t mobiles ceo is offering a ride the red planet john legere  blazer and your company s shirt

Summer may have officially come to a close last week, but T-Mobile is looking for ways to extend those fleeting, joyous months -- at least, by way of your phone bill.

Encouraging customers to keep taking summer vacation -- or fall vacation, just vacation in general -- the Un-carrier announced on Tuesday it would be "extending and expanding its summer travel bonus" by giving customers "unlimited high-speed data throughout South America and 19 European countries until 2017." So go ahead, take that trip you did not get to when it was still warm out. Because really, summer is just starting in the southern hemisphere.

Read more
With less than two months till voting day 2016, Google introduces its elections hub
doordash presidential election menu hillary clinton

Judgment day approaches. Or, at least, its political equivalent.

As November 8 draws ever nearer, Google is ramping up its arsenal of tools to help voters make an informed decision come election day. On its official search blog, Google announced on Thursday the creation of the new Google Trends Election Hub. It promises to offer "a real-time pulse of the U.S. election." You'll be able to check out how fellow Google users are searching for candidates and political issues, and of course, learn more about the candidates, their running mates, and campaign tickets.

Read more