FB to post ‘I voted’ button for elections

Facebook announced Wednesday that it plans to roll out the “I Voted” button for the March 17 elections, offering a way for users to share that they have cast their vote with their online friends in real time.

The button will feature at the top of the newsfeed of all Israeli users of voting age, and will give users the option to add the “I Voted” badge to their Facebook profile.

The button will also include a link to the Central Elections Committee website, which will provide practical information on candidates and polling stations.

According to Facebook, integrating the digital badge increases voter turnout by bringing the election to the forefront of online conversations: The more people see their Facebook friends talking about voting, the more likely they are to vote themselves.

A 2012 Study from the University of California, San Diego found that the digital badge prompted an additional 300,000 people to vote in the US midterm elections in 2010.

“The voter-participation rate is an important matter worldwide, and in Israel, we hope that the “I’m Voting” button will make it easier for voters to share the fact that they are participating in the elections, and will serve as a reminder to others to go out and vote,” Facebook EMEA Politics and Government expert Elizabeth Linder said.

The “I Voted” button has been available for US users for the past three elections, and more recently in the EU and India. Facebook estimates that last year, some 4.1 million users in India shared the button during the parliamentary election.