Colorado voter registration clicks explode after Facebook notice

DENVER, Sept. 26, 2016 -- The number of voter registration transactions in Colorado and across the nation soared when social media giant Facebook posted a registration reminder on its news feed.

The reminders went out in groups beginning at 1 a.m. Eastern time last Friday, which means some Coloradans who were checking their Facebook accounts at 11 p.m. Thursday started seeing the notices.

"Are you registered to vote? Register now to make sure you have a voice in the election," the notice read. Facebook users 18 and older who received the notice then could share that they were registered or click on a link to register .

The result? Statewide, there were 2,996 voter registration submissions in Colorado on Thursday. During the same time period Friday, after the Facebook notice, submissions soared to 13,889. A submission could be a new registration or an updated registration.

Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams said it's important for clerks to have updated address information because the post office doesn't forward ballots.

"Facebook's efforts add to what we are doing already in Colorado to encourage voter registration," he said.

Colorado has the highest percentage of voter registration in the country at 87 percent of the eligible population, according to the Pew Center on the States. To register to vote or update your vote registration in Colorado, text "CO" to "2Vote" or go to www.GoVoteColorado.com.

Here's a look at the difference in voter registration transactions in some counties from Thursday to Friday: Arapahoe, 362 to 1,647; Jefferson, 300 to 1,361; El Paso, 310 to 1,589; and Mesa, 76 to 581. (Check out the attachment for a county-by-county tally.)

"Going back to 2008, we’ve been reminding people on Facebook to vote on Election Day and directing them to information on where to vote," said Samidh Chakrabarti, Facebook’s Product Manager for civic engagement. "This is the natural next step. We want people to have a voice in the process, and getting registered means that there’s one less hurdle for them."

The Georgia Secretary of State's office reported a 2,255 percent increase in voter registration hits because of the Facebook notice.

Another national voter registration effort is underway today on Google.

OLVR Numbers 9-23-16 (XLSX)