Tinder teams up with Bite the Ballot to get young people to ‘Swipe the Vote’ in EU referendum campaign
Dating app Tinder has partnered with Bite the Ballot to take advantage of the ongoing “political discourse” on the platform and encourage young people to vote in the forthcoming EU referendum.
The party-neutral organisation, which looks to inspire youths to “evolve UK democracy”, has employed the Tinder push as part of a wider campaign aiming to make history by getting 500,000 people registered to vote in the space of a week.
‘Swipe the Vote’ has taken inspiration from Tinder’s well known ‘swiping’ feature, which allows users to indicate whether they fancy a potential date by swiping right (yes) or left (no).
However, rather than letting singletons rate their peers, Bite the Ballot’s initiative will instead present a series of statements prompting users to think about how much they know about the EU and the facts surrounding the referendum from supporters and opponents.
The quiz will let users swipe right to answer ‘fact’ while left will mean ‘fiction’. The images used will give them the opportunity to learn more about the key issues and will link directly through to page where they can sign up for their polling card.
It was first reported that David Cameron had held meetings with the likes of Tinder and LadBible to brainstorm ideas around engaging millennials last month. While Downing Street was reluctant to comment on the session, it would now seem that Bite the Ballot has drawn inspiration from the US equivalent of the 'Swipe the Vote' campaign which hooked users up with presidential candidates.
Given that 85 per cent of Tinder’s users are aged between 18 to 34 years-old, it’s no surprise that the platform is gaining popularity with political groups.
"The political discourse on Tinder worldwide has reached historic levels,” said Tinder founder and chief executive Sean Rad, “we want to do our part in educating and mobilizing our engaged audience on these types of issues, including the UK Referendum.”
The deadline to sign up for a polling card is 7 June, and recent changes to the electoral system mean thousands are yet to register to vote.
Bite The Ballot's co-founder and chief executive Michael Sani said: "Only an estimated one in four young people are registered to vote ahead of the EU Referendum, despite being the most connected generation that has ever walked the earth. Through partnering with Tinder, one of the most engaging platforms globally, we will be able to empower young citizens to register to vote and understand that this debate and decision isn't solely for the male, pale and stale. It's a once in a generation opportunity where every voter and every vote counts.”
Some of the initiatives designed to get young people voting in the EU referendum have courted mockery online. Earlier this week a #VoteyMcVoteface push devised by Snap Fashion founder Jenny Griffiths was slammed as “patronising” by young people on Twitter, while creators of a separate Britain Stronger in Europe youth campaign said was made knowing youths would "probably take the piss out of it."