Google Doodle

[Update: Day 2] ‘#election2020’ Google Doodle series shows you how and where to vote

Kyle Bradshaw | Nov 2 2020 - 9:28 am PT

This Tuesday is Election Day in the United States, and as our colleagues at Electrek shared, the stakes have never been higher. To remind everyone of their right to vote in Tuesday’s election, Google is replacing its homepage logo with an “#election2020” Doodle that can show people exactly how to vote.

Today, on the Google.com homepage, the usual logo has been supplemented with a variety of traditional pin buttons encouraging you to “Go Vote” or “Vota” in Tuesday’s election. Clicking the Doodle brings you to a handy “#election2020” tool offering all of the important dates and deadlines for your state, along with guidelines of who is eligible to vote.

In some states, you’ll find it’s even possible to register to vote on Election Day while at your local polling place. If this is possible in your area, Google’s “#election2020” tool will show information on how to do so and what sorts of identification you’ll need to bring. The tool also shows how to find your local polling place and what you’ll need to bring to make sure your vote is counted.

All of the information in Google’s tool comes courtesy of the website HowTo.vote, maintained by Democracy Works, “a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the status quo.”

Interestingly, the Google Doodle Blog labels today’s Doodle as “Day 1,” suggesting that we may see new artwork related to #election2020 on Monday, as well as Election Day proper.

Update 11/2: For Day 2, Google has opted not to change the artwork of their #election2020 Doodle, instead changing its destination. While yesterday the Doodle linked to information about how to vote, today it links to a tool to finding your local polling place.

As a reminder, when using the tool, be sure to enter the address you used on your voter registration. If you’ve changed addresses since the last time you updated your registration, you’ll need to go to your previous address’s polling location.

This is far from the first time Google has used its influence to encourage voter turnout for this election, with the company’s homepage getting a similar #election2020 Doodle in support of Voter Registration Day earlier this year. Similarly, Chromecast devices have begun showing artwork designed around the word “Vote.”

Beyond that, the United States is not the only country where Google Doodles are used to call for voters. Last month alone, Google offered homepage Doodles for elections in Chile and New Zealand.