The Ad Council has now made it easier to register for voting with the help of a chat bot. The Council launched an automated tool within Facebook’s messenger platform designed to support prospective ballot casters through the sign-up process.
The bot is also equipped to make available election-day logistic information with a bit more personality than the average online form. Non-profit PSA maker is hoping the program, named GoVoteBot, will simplify and personalize the task of registration in an easy way.
Dzu Bui, VP of the Ad Council for campaign development, has stated, “It has a bit of a cheeky personality. But it is completely non-partisan — it has no opinion on who you vote for.”
Once you type a simple introductory greeting to the bot, and it will respond with a dropdown menu of options including a polling location finder and absentee options in addition to registration options and links.
One the process is completed, the bot will respond with a celebratory note: “You’re looking at one proud GoVoteBot!”
The integration has been made with the data pulled from Google Civic — the repository of electoral information — and the U.S. Vote foundation. Furthermore, Facebook is donating free ad space to promote the effort, along with several ad networks and media companies.
Most specifically, the Facebook ads will target new eligible voters and people who have just moved — two groups which are most likely to skip registration, according to various studies.
To strike up a conversation with GoVoteBot, simply type its name into a new message window in the Messenger app, home website or chat bar on the Facebook homepage.
