Software
Google makes it easier for US voting locations to locate via search and its Assistant
Google is adding new polling features to its voice assistant, Google Search, and Google Maps, to make it easier for US voters to identify voting places ahead of next month 's election. In Google Search, searches such as "early-voting sites" and "ballot drop boxes near me" can offer specifics about where you can vote in person or return mail-in ballots, while telling the Google Assistant where to vote "soon" will provide useful information on your computer, speaker or smart monitor, Google says.
Then, after you've reached a spot, Google says that its Maps app will now provide you with directions to vote or drop-off sites, which can provide updates on voting hours.
Knowledge like this is highly important this year, considering that even more people are likely to use mail-in ballots in the face of the pandemic. Google says it has collaborated with the Voter Details Project to provide details on the voter position and plans to list more than 200,000 voting locations around the world. In instances where this information is not directly accessible, Google states that it would point users to state and local election websites.
In addition to proactively presenting information on elections, Google and its subsidiaries are now working to restrict the dissemination of disinformation on elections, including statements on mail-in voting. Just last month, YouTube introduced new guidelines targeted at disinformation about mail-in ballots. However, Google was blamed back in August for failing to delete misleading mail-based voting advertising. President Trump has repeatedly argued that voting by mail would result in fraud.
