Twitch Introduces VoteBot2020 to Encourage Voting
In anticipation of the upcoming United States presidential election, Twitch is taking steps to motivate its users to exercise their right to vote.
The livestreaming platform recently unveiled VoteBot2020, a new tool for streamers to encourage their viewers to cast their ballots. This bot sends messages in streamers’ chats, reminding users to vote using different phrases.
Promoting Voting Among Livestreamers
In the months leading up to the election, many livestreamers have come together to promote voting within their communities. One notable example was when U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez started her own stream to encourage voter registration for the 2020 election.
During her inaugural broadcast, several of Twitch’s top streamers joined her, and they played Among Us, resulting in record-breaking viewership. The stream reached a peak viewership of 438,688, making it the third-largest individual stream viewership in history, behind Shroud’s comeback stream and Ninja’s Fortnite stream featuring Drake.
Empowering Viewers with Voting Plans
Throughout the stream, the players promoted a voting registration website where viewers could create their customized voting plans.
With initiatives like VoteBot2020 and livestreamers’ efforts to motivate their audiences, Twitch is playing a role in encouraging civic engagement and voter participation.