In this digital age, it is inevitable that more or less every sphere of life will make use of technology. Especially with the rapid expansion of social media, it is easier to connect to people as well as to help people connect to a specific cause. For instance, Washington state will soon provide residents of the state to register to vote via Facebook.
The voter registration process will be possible via an app called “Wash.” The app has been developed by Microsoft. Once permitted, the app automatically fills out relevant information of the voter (like date of birth, place of living) into the registration form by using the data shared in Facebook.
The only thing that the user has to manually provide is the driver license or state ID number. The app is expected to launch next week and once it does, Washington would be the first state to offer voter registration through Facebook.
The state’s co-director of elections, Shane Hamin, is very optimistic with the launch of this app. Naturally, the app will allow more people to register for voting and may significantly enhance the turn-out during the elections.
According to Hamin, “In this age of social media and more people going online for services, this is a natural way to introduce people to online registration and leverage the power of friends on Facebook to get more people registered.”
However, he was quick to pacify the privacy concerns of the users, “You are giving your information to us, not Facebook. Your name and date of birth are pulled from Facebook profile, then it operates exactly as it does if you’re not in Facebook. Our state database checks to see if you’re already registered. If you are, it will take you to MyVote service, [where] you can update registration information.”
Thanks To: The Verge
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