The FINANCIAL — This year, searches for “how to vote” in the U.S. are higher than ever before. To make it easier to find information about how and where to vote—regardless of your preferred voting method—Google has launched election-related features with information from trusted and authoritative organizations in Google Search.
When you go to Google Search and Maps for information on where to vote, you’ll find helpful features that show the voting locations closest to you. On Google, search for things like “early voting locations” or “ballot drop boxes near me” and you’ll find details on where you can vote in person or return your mail-in ballot, whether you’re voting early or on Election Day. It will also include helpful reminders, like to bring your ballot completed and sealed.
Just as easily, you’ll soon be able to ask, “Hey Google, where do I vote?” and Google Assistant will share details on where to vote nearby on your Assistant-enabled phone, smart speaker or Smart Display.
After you’ve selected a voting location or ballot drop box in your area, you can click through from Google Search or Google Assistant to Google Maps for quick information about how far it is, how to get there, and voting hours. Similarly, if you search for your voting location in Google Maps you’ll have easy access to the feature in Search to help you confirm where you can cast your vote.
The official information in this feature comes from the Voting Information Project, a partnership between Democracy Works, a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic organization, and state election officials. Through the Voting Information Project, Google plans to have more than 200,000 voting locations available across the country. For places where voting locations are not yet available, Google will surface state and local election websites. As more locations become available, or if there are changes, Google will continue to update the information provided across Google Search, Assistant and Maps.
