Politics and Elections Blog
Trends, tools and news from the Google Politics & Elections team
Google launches an elections portal in India
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Cross-posted from the Official Google India Blog
Last week, Google launched an elections portal www.google.co.in/elections that will assist voters in India to understand the electoral process, get access to all the news related to elections and politics, get detailed information on specific political parties. The Elections Portal will serve as a one stop destination to help voters get answers to their elections and voting-related queries to make an informed decision.
In the first phase of the launch, the portal will cover news information and videos related to state elections for Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram covering news from leading publications and broadcasters both in English and Hindi. Users will also be able to watch content hosted by YouTube partners for elections and links to Hangouts done by political representatives in the recent past.
In addition to this, the portal will also offer information on how to register for voting along with a section on frequently asked questions around voting and registration. Our intent is to empower voters with all the information they need at a single destination for upcoming general elections. Over time we will add more functionality to enable users to interact and engage with the candidates, so that they are not simply watching from afar, but participating in, engaging with and shaping the political process in a democratic way.
With over 200 million Internet users in the country, the Internet audience in India has reached a critical scale and will play an important role in influencing the decisions of a large proportion of the urban Indian population in the upcoming elections. Elections related search queries on Google have shown a considerable increase and the interest in news information related to elections and politics have started to peak. Leading political parties are active on most social media platforms, and users will be able to access all the information sent out by the political parties on platforms like YouTube, Google+ and connect directly with the candidates in their constituency.
Posted By: Chetan Krishnaswamy, Head of Public Policy and Government Relations, Google India
Civic Information API: now connecting US users with their representatives
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Many applications track and map governmental data, but few help their users identify the relevant local public officials. Too often local problems are divorced from the government institutions designed to help. Today, we're launching new functionality in the
Google Civic Information API
that lets developers connect constituents to their federal, state, county and municipal elected officials—right down to the city council district.
The Civic Information API has already helped developers
create apps for US elections
that incorporate polling place and ballot information, from helping those affected by Superstorm Sandy find updated polling locations over SMS to learning more about local races through social networks. We want to support these developers in their work beyond elections, including everyday civic engagement.
In addition to elected representatives, the API also returns your political jurisdictions using
Open Civic Data Identifiers
. We worked with the Sunlight Foundation and other civic technology groups to create this new open standard to make it easier for developers to combine the Civic Information API with their datasets. For example, once you look up districts and representatives in the Civic Information API, you can match the districts up to
historical election results
published by
Open Elections
.
Developers can
head over to the documentation
to get started; be sure to check out the
"Map Your Reps"
sample application from Bow & Arrow to get a sense of what the API can do. You can also see the API in action today through new features from some of our partners, for example:
Change.org
has implemented a new
Decision Makers
feature which allows users to direct a petition to their elected representative and lists that petition publicly on the representative's profile page. As a result, the leader has better insight into the issues being discussed in their district, and a new channel to respond to constituents.
PopVox
helps users share their opinions on bills with their Congressional Representatives in a meaningful format. PopVox uses the API to connect the user to the correct Congressional District. Because PopVox verifies that users are real constituents, the opinions shared with elected officials have more impact on the political process.
Over time, we will expand beyond US elected representatives and elections to other data types and places. We can’t grow without your help. As you use the API, please visit our
Developer Forum
to share your experiences and tell us how we can help you build the next generation of civic apps and services.
This release is an investment in making the world’s civic data universally accessible and useful. We’ll continue to work with civic developers who are tackling real-world challenges. Together, we can build new tools to improve civic life for everyone.
Posted by Jonathan Tomer, Software Engineer
Following the Chilean Presidential Election
Friday, November 15, 2013
Posted by Ernesto Camacho, Google Politics & Elections Team
On Sunday, Chile will choose a new President. In order to make following the race even easier, we partnered with Servel, Chile’s official electoral service to provide a real-time, minute-by-minute results map. The interactive map not only shows users the latest results on a national and regional level, but also who is leading down to their local commune.
The map is just one part of our
Chilean 2013 Elections site
- a central landing page providing news on each candidate, as well as the information of the political parties and direct links to their YouTube channels, G+ profiles, and Twitter pages. Users can also gauge who is generating the most interest on Google News and Search through our Google
Trends
widget. Take a look at the page and check back Sunday for all the results!
Helping German Voters Prepare for the Federal Election
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Posted by Jason Brooks, Google Politics & Elections Team
When political information is universally available and accessible, the electoral process benefits. Since 2007, the Google Politics & Elections team has launched programs for more than 40 elections and provided tools that have been used over 500 million times by citizens around the worl
d.
Our motto for Sunday’s German Federal Election is 2013+You. While much of this election’s focus is on political parties--which party will receive the most votes to form a new government, elect the Chancellor, and lead the 18th Bundestag--online information tools can help drive more focus on the voter. We want our tools to help provide information about the federal election, but also offer a way to connect and engage with district-level candidates.
We launched a
central hub
for the German election--a one-stop shop for voters to access the latest news, top Google search trends, and Hangouts with top candidates, as well as engage with candidates and media through YouTube and G+.
The
“Your District” map
allows voters
to find out who is running in their districts and learn more about candidates through social media.
Take a look at our just-launched map,
join the conversation on G+
, and make sure to check back on Sunday, when the map will display real-time official results for each of the 299 districts.
Voting in the Big Apple
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Posted by Kate Sokolov, Google Politics and Elections Team
More than 8 million people live in New York City. Tomorrow, they head to the polls to cast votes in the citywide party primaries.
To help New York City voters find where to vote in the primary elections, how to get there, and who is on the ballot, we’ve launched the latest edition of our
Voter Information Tool
. Voters can enter their address to find their polling place and locate it on a Google Map. They can also find ballot information and candidate details for races all the way from Mayor and Borough President to Public Advocate, as well as easily check voting rules and requirements.
We hope this tool will help New Yorkers from Staten Island to the Bronx find all the information they need as simply as possible.
https://voter-info-tool.appspot.com/?election_id=4010
Google+ helps constituents connect with Members of Congress on major policy issues
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Posted by Sarah Kaehler, Google+ Politics Team
Washington D.C. and the legislative process can feel very far removed from our everyday lives even though what happens in the halls of Congress will have a big impact on our future. Over the last few months, we have seen more and more Members of Congress turn to Google+ in order to break down traditional barriers of communication and have a candid conversation about serious issues facing our country.
As immigration and student loans become hot topics on Capitol Hill, members are turning to Google+ Hangouts On Air to connect with constituents and advocates across the country.
Hangouts allow lawmakers to directly engage with people back in their respective districts without leaving their office, allowing for a real conversation to take place beyond the Beltway.
With votes this week on
bills about these issues
, representatives from both sides of the aisle have been working to make sure their voices are heard one last time. Yesterday, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) joined organization America’s Voice to discuss immigration and make a final push for reform.
And today
American Action Forum
will be hosting conservative thought leaders to discuss strengthening the immigration reform bill with amendments. Tune in to watch live
here
.
With just under a week until student loan rates are set to double, House Republicans are hosting
a series of Hangouts On Air
to discuss the issue. Scheduled Hangouts On Air include:
June 26th at 11:30 AM ET with Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Rep. Jackie Wolorski (R-IN)
June 26th at 3:30 PM ET with Reps. Todd Rokita (R-IN) and Cory Gardner (R-CO)
June 26th at 3:30 PM ET with Reps. Larry Buschon (R-IN) and Diane Black (R-TN)
June 27th at 12:00 PM ET Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN)
Tune in on Google+ this week to see how Congress is voting and to learn more about how the decisions will impact you.
Take Part in MSNBC’s Hangout On Air Series about Marriage Equality
Friday, June 14, 2013
Posted by Sally Simms, Google+ Partnerships
This month, the Supreme Court will likely rule on the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California’s Proposition 8, marking a historic moment for the issue of marriage equality in the United States.
In anticipation of these monumental decisions,
+MSNBC
will host
a series of Google+ Hangouts On Air
surrounding marriage equality and the Supreme Court cases beginning this Monday, June 17. The series of four Hangouts On Air, hosted by MSNBC anchors Thomas Roberts, Chris Hayes, Steve Kornacki and Andrea Mitchell, will bring together experts, celebrities, and members of the Google+ community who will be affected by the court’s decisions in a conversation about the implications of these historic rulings.
+MSNBC
Hangouts On Air on the DOMA and Prop. 8 decisions:
Monday, June 17, 12:15PM ET:
What Does This All Mean?
Tuesday, June 18, 12:15PM ET:
Changing Your Community
Wednesday, June 19, 12:15 PM ET:
Both Sides of the Aisle
Monday, June 24, 2:15 PM ET:
From Hollywood to Your Hometown
We look forward to having you
join the discussions
with MSNBC, and taking part in the community conversation by using
#MarriageEquality on Google+
.
Secretary of State John Kerry kicks off “Hangouts at State” series on Google+
Monday, April 15, 2013
Posted by Ramya Raghavan, Google+ Politics and Causes
Over the past year, Google+ has been used across the globe to connect people and enable free expression—from
Syria Deeply
, an independent news site which regularly uses Google+ and Hangouts to report about the crisis in Syria to
Tom Fletcher
, the British Ambassador to Lebanon, who issues dispatches from one country to another via Hangout.
Today, the U.S. Department of State is building on this trend by announcing a new series of discussions called “Hangouts at State.” Each month, these conversations will bring people together across global boundaries to discuss the most pressing U.S. foreign policy issues, like democracy promotion, human rights, counterterrorism efforts, economic development, climate change and drug interdiction.
The series kicks off on Friday, April 19 with a
Hangout
with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, entitled “The U.S. in the World: What’s In It for Us” and moderated by NBC’s Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell. The Secretary will be joined by a group of Americans to discuss the impact of U.S. foreign policy on people at home.
Tune in on Friday at 1 p.m. E.T. to watch the conversation unfold, and keep your eye on the
Google Politics and Elections page
for news about the next “Hangout at State.”
Join the Conversation About Same-Sex Marriage on Google+
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Posted by
Ramya Raghavan
, Google+ Politics Team
In exactly one week, the Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments on the issue of same-sex marriage. It’s been a hot topic and there will no doubt be a flurry of activity related to the cases. Recently on Google+, we’ve seen a variety of
posts
about this issue and the community is just getting warmed up.
Starting tomorrow at 2 p.m. EDT, you can view a series of Google+ Hangouts exploring the issues related to the same-sex marriage debate. The “State of our Unions” Hangout series will include
Washington Post
journalists and writers such as Chris Cillizza, Nia Malika-Henderson, Jonathan Capehart, Liz Tenety and Robert Barnes as well as participating organizations The Advocate, The Center for American Progress, The Family Equality Council, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, The Heritage Foundation, SCOTUSblog, and Third Way (#stateofourunion).
State of our Unions
hosted by The Washington Post
March 20 - Tell it to me straight: The facts behind the cases
March 21 - Evolving Conversations: Is this the new civil rights movement?
March 22 - Keeping Faith: The role religion plays in the gay marriage debate
March 26 - Getting Real: What are the real-life impacts of these decisions?
March 27 - Arguments made -- now what?
The
Pride Plus Google+ Community
will also cover the topic with “At Last? A Marriage Equality Hangout Series”, taking your questions and debating them among their panel of activists and LGBT nonprofits (#Time4Marriage).
At Last? A Marriage Equality Hangout Series
hosted by Pride Plus
March 22 - Why “Marriage” Matters
March 25 - Real Couples, Real Stories
March 28 - If we win? If we lose?
So whether you're a political junkie or just want to express your opinion, join the conversation with other community members and experts who are passionate about the topic by using the above hashtags or #supremecourt and #gaymarriage.
Fireside Hangouts: Join President Obama on Google+ after the State of the Union
Monday, February 11, 2013
When President Obama heads to a joint session of Congress tomorrow night, he’ll be honoring the 200-year old tradition of delivering the State of the Union to Congress and the American people. Two days later, the President will turn to Google+ to continue a
more recent tradition
, by taking
questions online
after his speech. You can tune in to the Hangout this Thursday at 4:50 p.m. ET.
Much like the Fireside Hangouts held by
Vice President Biden
and Domestic Policy Director
Cecilia Munoz
over the past few weeks, the President’s Fireside Hangout will include a group of people who regularly discuss important issues of the day online. During the conversation, the selected participants will ask the President their own questions—but we’d also like to hear from you before the Hangout. To let the President know what’s on your mind, head to the White House YouTube channel and submit a video or text question. You can submit or vote on questions you’d like to hear him address until 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 13.
Looking for inspiration for your question? Watch the President’s State of the Union speech
on YouTube
tomorrow night at 9 p.m. ET, as well as the Republican response from
Senator Marco
Rubio directly afterwards.
Then tune in to Thursday’s Fireside Hangout on the
White House Google+ page
or
YouTube channel
for a unique online discussion between the President and the American people on Google+.
Posted by
Ramya Raghavan
, Google+ Politics
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