Google has often made their technology available to encourage and support voting. In that vein, it seems likely that Google Maps will soon provide a new Google created mapplet with comprehensive voter information.
The site, currently visible at the url: http://maps.google.com/vote, will provide voting location, registration information and more. Apparently the data set is not yet loaded as the site notes: All voting location information will be available by mid-October. Until then, please check with your state or local election officials to verify your voting location.
It is likely that this project started out as a Google 20% project but given the finished look and feel has obviously become fully supported. Being able to generate a driving map for each potential voter to every polling place offers incredible benefit to every “get out the vote” organization particularly smaller ones that might not have the resources to gather this information. Rolling this out on a national scale is an intriguing example of deep local data collection and how that information can possibly affect outcomes on a larger stage. It points to a time when having in-depth local data will fundamentally change the way that the web is used.
On another, possibly related note, a reader pointed out the domain GoogleVote.com that sports the Google Vote logo above
.
Wow. It’s really good to see stuff like this — good technology just to get people to participate.
Comment by Aria (1 comments) — September 20, 2008 @ 4:05 pm
Nifty. This will be helpful to us this year, as we’ve moved. Gracias for reporting on this, Mike.
Miriam
Comment by MiriamEllis (362 comments) — September 20, 2008 @ 4:18 pm
@Miriam
Maybe its Obama’s “secret weapon”?
Mike
Comment by Mike (1029 comments) — September 20, 2008 @ 4:38 pm
Haha. Maybe so.
Miriam
Comment by MiriamEllis (362 comments) — September 20, 2008 @ 5:43 pm
Nice use of technology to help common man! US needs more voters.
Comment by Pali Madra (1 comments) — September 23, 2008 @ 2:28 am
Google to play a major role in US elections…
Google Vote (beta) will have election maps this voting season by offering a Google mapplet that will offer polling location information before the big day in November. (In case you are not sure where to go to vote).
……
Trackback by AfterTheDotNet — September 23, 2008 @ 3:14 am
Hi Pali
Yes the US voting rate is abysmal. At best any candidate receives a plurality of the vote of US voting adults…If he/she “wins” with 45% of the vote, they will only have received affirmation from 22% of the population. Hardly majority rules is it?
Mike
PS thanks for the link
Comment by Mike (1029 comments) — September 23, 2008 @ 11:04 am
Google Maps is free and fantastic
Comment by Robert (17 comments) — September 23, 2008 @ 1:40 pm
@Robert
I would say they are free if your business listing isn’t hijacked or you have to spend endless hours getting a problem squared away because they have no human support….and it is fantastic most of the time and this voter tool is certainly one example but it can be less so if a hijacker has your record or a spammer hit your reviews…
Mike
Comment by Mike (1029 comments) — September 23, 2008 @ 1:51 pm
It’s exciting to see that Google has stepped in to provide this info and hopefully bring a few more people out to vote. .
It’s also sad that the government has become so partisan or dysfunctional that it can’t organize this itself. Really, a state or national website with all the addresses, polling locations, and verifications about whether you’re registered or not is not a whole lot to ask.
Comment by Erek (1 comments) — September 26, 2008 @ 6:39 pm
[...] has formally announced Maps.Google.com/Vote that I covered in mid [...]
Pingback by Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » Google formally announces Google Voter Info Widget & Map | Developing Knowledge about Local Search — October 2, 2008 @ 7:25 am
[...] late September, Google Maps rolled our Map.Google.com/Vote to provide a single source of voting information for every location within the [...]
Pingback by Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » Google Maps: Polling location information goes live | Developing Knowledge about Local Search — October 22, 2008 @ 9:33 am
BUSCO MAPAS DE LA PROVINCIAS DEL NEUQUEN ARGENTINA
Comment by CATLAN (1 comments) — October 29, 2008 @ 2:07 pm
The Google ‘Where to Vot” site is not functional NOVEMBER 3, 2008
Comment by Mike Lehan (1 comments) — November 3, 2008 @ 3:23 pm
@Mike
What URL are you using? The http://maps.google.com/vote is working for me.
Mike B
Comment by Mike (1029 comments) — November 3, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
[...] But then again, I tend to dwell on the negative reports or articles that give feedback on ways to improve. I think an average person is more likely to care about traffic conditions: –http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2008/04/google-maps-predicts-traffic-conditions.html or that Google Maps provided great voter guide information: –http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/09/20/google-maps-to-provide-complete-voter-information-for-upcomin… [...]
Pingback by Loci 2008: Matt Cutt’s Important Local Articles of 2008 » Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search — December 30, 2008 @ 8:32 am