Facebook feature to encourage youngsters to 'register and vote'

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Now, social networking site Facebook is out to catch voters ahead of Assembly and parliament elections. The site has launched a new feature, ‘register to vote’ to motivate young voters to register in the electoral rolls and exercise their franchise in the upcoming elections.

The feature will enable people to share status updates and individual stories on voter registration. Facebook officials believe this will create increased awareness of the voter registration process and influence higher percentage of people to register to vote.

Ankhi Das, Director, Public Policy of Facebook India, said it was the social networking site’s core mission to build an open and connected world.

“We have seen the power of friends and social sharing helps rally people around causes, build communities and increase participation.

Das said this was their effort to encourage more Indian citizens to vote in the upcoming elections. The feature is available on Facebook from Wednesday.

A study IRIS Knowledge Foundation and Internet and Mobile Association of India has claimed that users of social media will determine the fortunes of contestants seeking election to the next Lok Sabha from not less than 150 constituencies. It also said the users of social media will be the new vote bank.

It said social media usage is now sufficiently widespread to have the power to influence the outcome of the next elections to the Lok Sabha and consequently government formation. The research was conducted with data available in March 2013.