Facebook election turnout: Company says it has already registered 2.5 million Americans to vote

The social media giant is pulling out all the stops toencourage more Americans to cast their ballots, part of an unprecedented effort by social media companies to increase turnout during a highly contentious election cycle in which a record number of Americans are expected to vote by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This latest get-out-the-vote drive from a major social media company is a nod to the vast influence these platforms have on American political life and an acknowledgment of the harm from foreign interference and rampant misinformation in previous election cycles.

Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are making sweeping changes to their platforms in the lead-up to the election to limit falsehoods about voting and interference from President Trump and other politicians.

Jennifer Grygiel, a communications professor at Syracuse University who studies social media, warns these voter drives may come with hidden agendas and problems.

A campaign on Instagram could skew turnout younger or more liberal while a campaign on Facebook could skew turnout older and more conservative, she said.