Tinder launches ‘Election Center’ tool to attract young singles to the voting booth
The new tool helps users register to vote, understand local ballot measures and find their local polling station – because nothing is more attractive than someone exercising their civic duty.
Tinder is on a mission to get singles to engage with the Midterm Election / Credit: Tinder
Tinder is making strides to get young singles more involved in the electoral process by making voting easier ahead of the 2022 Midterm Election.
63% of young singles between 18 and 25 – over half of Tinder’s user base – find the information on ballots overwhelming, per a recent survey. To change this, Tinder has partnered with democracy database BallotReady to launch a new ‘Election Center’ tool within the dating app’s ‘Explore’ page. Here, singles can register to vote, locate polling stations and access easy-to-understand breakdowns of their local ballot measures.
“This new generation of daters wants to be heard. We’re so inspired by their willingness to prioritize potential matches that show up at the ballot boxes this year and use their votes to address the issues that matter most to them, whether that be reproductive rights, marriage equality, gun control or education,” said Melissa Hobley, chief marketing officer at Tinder.
“Many young singles don’t feel properly informed on key issues in these midterm elections, and we want to do something about that. Tinder’s partnership with BallotReady is a meaningful way for our members to easily get involved and informed, and show off their civic pride to potential matches.”
Advertisement
The Election Center is designed to help the 33% who admitted in the survey that they don’t feel properly informed on the issues at stake. While ‘Register to Vote’ is available today, the brand also announced that it will roll out additional in-app features, such as ‘My Actions,’ ‘My Stickers’ and ‘My Ballot,’ on October 26. Below is a breakdown of the upcoming key features within Tinder’s Election Center:
-
Register to Vote. Helps singles stay on top of their state’s registration deadlines by redirecting them to their respective registration page
-
My Actions. Helps singles prepare for the polls with a checklist detailing the voter registration steps, the option to request a mail-in ballot and how to find their local polling stations
-
My Stickers. Allows tinder members to flex their civic pride by adding an ‘I Voted’ sticker to their dating profile
-
My Ballot. Offers digestible information on local ballot measures from BallotReady
Advertisement
The app will also offer members in battleground states personalized, in-app merch cards, designed to educate them on the importance of voting locally.
The effort is similar to those of other dating apps encouraging civic action. In 2020, LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr launched its intentionally risqué ‘Voting is sexy’ campaign.
Suggested newsletters for you
Tinder bills itself as committed to actively addressing the issues affecting its community. The app recently released ways for members to take a stand on key issues such as reproductive rights and marriage equality, both of which can be influenced by this year’s elections.
Following the Roe v Wade ruling, Tinder released an option for singles to disclose whether they are pro-choice or not on their dating profile, as well as an in-app promotion to support Bansoff.org, a national campaign led by abortion rights supporters.
Last month, Tinder launched an advocacy initiative to help support the ‘Respect for Marriage Act,’ which would protect the right to same-sex and interracial marriage through federal government recognition.