Staff Reports
Voters in Florida’s 20th Congressional District will decide who will replace the late U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings next month, and Facebook is working to ensure they turn up at the polls.
The social media giant has a series of ongoing initiatives aimed at boosting election participation, including the use of Facebook News Feeds, notifications and Election Day reminders to provide information from the Florida Division of Elections on how they can vote, check their registration status or locate a polling place.
The company has also deployed its Voting Information Center, a resource that more than 140 million people turned to for reliable information in the 2020 elections. It, too, helps voters find their state’s registration information, learn how to access a ballot while living abroad and connect with opportunities to volunteer as a poll worker.
Facebook also reiterated its commitment to preventing election interference and combating the spread of misinformation.
Ahead of the CD 20 Special Election, the company has activated its Elections Operations Center, which monitors for emerging threats such as voter suppressing content and attempts of foreign and domestic interference.
It is also working with state election authorities to identify and stop voter suppression; reviewing content that violates the company’s voter interference policies through a combination of AI and human review; and fact-checking claims about the elections and rating potential misinformation to warn viewers of false or misleading content.
The fact-checking operation was put to the test last month during California’s recall election for Governor. Scrutinized claims include a debunked allegation that some polling places were turning away GOP voters by claiming they already voted and a spurious claim that ballot envelopes were designed so others could see who voters backed in the election.
Facebook has also reactivated its Voting Alerts tool, which allows election officials to send notifications about the election and recruit poll workers to voters in their jurisdiction.
