Barack Obama may have been the first presidential candidate to harness the power of the Millennial generation, but he’s certainly not the last. As the 2016 presidential election draws ever nearer, candidates on both sides of the aisle are looking for ways to motivate and mobilize some of the youngest eligible voters. But with the very definitions of the two parties coming into question in this already heated race, first-time voters may need a bit of help deciding exactly which party they want to cast their ballots for. And here to help is Politalk, a new app that promises to help young voters discover their political identity.
Sure, political leanings tend to be the products of lived and learned experiences over the course of many years, but given the accelerated timeline of the impending election, sometimes you need a little help from technology. The app features a curated newsfeed that gives users a snapshot of some of the most pressing issues in their community, and then allows them to tap “agree” or “disagree” to determine which candidates appear most aligned with their views. Using its unique algorithm, Politalk displays trending political topics at the top of the newsfeed, so that attention-deficient Millennials won’t zone out before getting to the good stuff.
“Today, between the media playing up our polarized political system and our society’s fast pace, it’s difficult to ascertain what is truth and what is political spin,” says co-founder Alex Kranenburg. “Our generation of voters absorb content in short segments and not just through straight text. GIFs, emojis, quizzes, and other illustrative tools are all incorporated in our app to be reflective of the new reality of content absorption.”
Included in the newsfeed will be “an unfiltered look at political discourse in real time.” From candidate tweets to news, users will be encouraged to vote on the issues before they get to the polls, helping them make a more informed decision when it comes time to truly cast a ballot.
“We have already seen our community of Politalkers working together to raise visibility of certain issues such as student loans, the economy, and gun control,” says co-founder Pieter Kranenburg. “As a result, Politalkers have boosted the ranking of politicians that best represent them. The future of political engagement is real time interaction without the traditional barriers that have kept voters in the dark for generations.”
You can learn more about Politalk here, or go ahead and download the iPhone app.
