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Twitter is launching an election hub with voting info in English and Spanish

Twitter is launching an election hub with voting info in English and Spanish

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The hub is designed to deliver ‘reputable’ real-time info

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

As mail-in ballot deadlines approach and with the presidential election less than two months away, Twitter is introducing an election hub. It will provide real-time voting and election information as well as breaking election-related news, the company announced today.

The hub will appear at the top of the Explore tab for US users, and it will have Twitter Moments from “reputable news outlets” and its curation team in English and Spanish; live streams of debates and other major events; a tool that shows candidates in a user’s state; and local news.

Twitter

“Twitter wants to empower every eligible person to vote in the 2020 US election, and we’re focused on helping people register, better understand the voting process during COVID-19 including early voting options, and feel informed about the choices on their ballot,” the company said in a statement.

The hub also will include voter education public service announcements “using information from non-partisan government and voting advocacy organizations,” which will run on Twitter up to Election Day, with information on topics like how to request an absentee ballot and guidance for voting during the pandemic.

Like other social media platforms, Twitter is trying to stem the flood of misinformation as the election approaches. The company banned political ads last year, and it has affixed labels to tweets from politicians, including President Trump, when they have misleading or incorrect information about voting or contain manipulated media.

Facebook said last week it would also stop taking new political ads a week before the election, and it’s displaying a voter information center at the top of Facebook and Instagram feeds. It also plans to label posts by candidates prematurely declaring victory. And Snapchat announced last month it was rolling out in-app voter awareness tools.