Facebook launches guide for voters

Facebook rolled out a ballot guide on Friday aimed at preparing people for the voting booth, the company’s latest effort at civic engagement.

The feature allows users to scroll through and get more information about the candidates and ballot issues they’ll see when they go to vote. What users see on the guide is what they’ll see on their ballot, according to Facebook.

{mosads}“We’re interested in offering people a space that’s separate from News Feed where they can prepare for that they’re going to do in the ballot box,” said Jeremy Galen, a product marketing manager with the company.

The website serves information on the presidential race first, followed by down-ballot races and ballot questions.

The order in which candidates are presented on the page is randomized. The information comes from the Center for Technology and Civic Life, a nonprofit group.

Users can favorite a candidate they plan to support, an action they can either keep to themselves or share with friends. That data will be discarded 60 days after Election Day, the company said, and will not be used for any advertising purposes. 

It’s the latest move by the company aimed at voters. Notifications have for years popped up on the platform’s News Feed reminding users to vote. The company has also had a presence at the debates and political conventions this year.