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Facebook App Identifies Non-Voters, Nags Them

Democrats in California using it in get-out-the-vote push

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 31, 2010 7:47 AM CDT

(Newser) – Democrats in California who tend to skip Election Day may be getting a nagging reminder to vote from an unlikely source—their Facebook friends. The party is using a new app that scours a user's list of friends, identifies registered Democrats who don't actually vote a lot, and encourages the user to send those pals a note before Nov. 2, reports the Los Angeles Times.

"We're asking their friends to help us nudge those voters," says a party spokesman. "It's no creepier than getting a piece of mail saying vote for candidate X or candidate Y." He adds that funding for Friend Out The Vote came from Chris Kelly, who ran unsuccessfully for state attorney general in the party primary. He also happens to be Facebook's former chief privacy offer.

In this file photo, two votes look over the ballots.
In this file photo, two votes look over the ballots.   (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 8 comments
TopsyKrets
Oct 31, 2010 12:45 PM CDT
In Australia you get a $50 fine if you don't vote. How I wish we had a law like that in the US. If we had 90% voter turn out this whole "ultra-rich vs. the vast majority" issue would go away comparatively quickly. The rich will never be able to buy the law away from the people, and if they keep trying to they're just going to make themselves worse off
DontLikeYou___
Oct 31, 2010 9:19 AM CDT
The party is using a new app that scours a user's list of friends, identifies registered Democrats who don't actually vote What fascists. Big brother is here.
summerfairy
Oct 27, 2010 9:19 AM CDT
gotta remind the pot addled idiots its Nov 2.
 

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