Instagram Voter Empowerment

2020 was a challenging year to say the least. The global pandemic upended nearly every aspect of our lives – and the elections was not immune to its effects. As a result, voter turnout was expected to be low, particularly among young people.

With over 130 million users in the United States, Instagram pledged to play a positive role in the elections by helping Americans use their voice where it matters most – by voting. That summer, Instagram announced a goal of helping 4 million people register to vote.

To achieve this, we spoke to young people around the country to understand what they needed most during these times. From there, we developed and launched a national campaign that leveraged Instagram’s many features, including stickers. Our communications drove people to the Voter Information Center within the app so they could find critical voting information: how to register, vote by mail, poll locations, and planning tips for Election day during the pandemic.

As a result, Instagram helped an estimated 4.4 million people register to vote. And voter turnout was the highest in over a century.