MarTech » Marketing management » The Internet Turns Out For US Election Day 2012: Resources & Info

The Internet Turns Out For US Election Day 2012: Resources & Info

It’s election day in the United States, and there’s plenty of internet-related activity going on related to today’s polls. Below, a recap of things being done by Google, Facebook, Bing, Foursquare, Yahoo and other companies, as well as what people themselves are doing. Where To Vote & Voting Hours One of the current hot topics […]

By Danny Sullivan

Published on November 6, 2012 • Last updated on May 6, 2021 • 3 minutes read

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It’s election day in the United States, and there’s plenty of internet-related activity going on related to today’s polls. Below, a recap of things being done by Google, Facebook, Bing, Foursquare, Yahoo and other companies, as well as what people themselves are doing.

Where To Vote & Voting Hours

One of the current hot topics on Google Trends is “where do I vote,” generated by all those people who are trying to figure out where to cast ballots:

Hot Searches Google

Similarly, lots of searches are happening related to “what time do polls open.”

One easy way to find out is to go to Google and click on today’s special logo, which brings up a voter information box. Or, just go directly to the locators below offered by Google and Facebook:

Who’s Voting Where?

Both Facebook and Foursquare are offering real-time maps of voting. Foursquare’s map is more directly tied to where and when people are actually voting, while Facebook’s is more about when indicate they’re going to vote. The maps:

Here are our stories with more about those maps:

Who’s Winning?

Want to keep up with the latest election results? Google, Bing and Yahoo are showing results in response to certain searches, as we cover below:

Getting The US Election Results From Google, Bing & Yahoo

Each of the search engines also have dedicated election areas to watch:

Real Time News & Reactions

Want to stay ahead of the news channels? Twitter’s a place to watch. The company has even created a special Election Day “hashtag” page where you can spot prominent tweets and images:

Twitter #Election2012

Meanwhile, Elsewhere…

Beyond the major internet companies, there are stories of how tech users are colliding with the elections. Here’s a recap of some interesting ones:

Instagram your ballot, go to jail! Well, not in all places, but there are issues, as AllThingsD covers (see also Techmeme)
Voting machines go crazy!Techmeme has a recap of developing stories on this topic
Email voting in New Jersey has issues. Again, a recap of stories from Techmeme
Who’s running for president again? Gizmodo covers how people are still trying to figure that out at the last minute, according to Google Trends

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Danny Sullivan

Danny Sullivan was a journalist and analyst who covered the digital and search marketing space from 1996 through 2017. He was also a cofounder of Third Door Media, which publishes Search Engine Land, MarTech, and produces the SMX: Search Marketing Expo and MarTech events. He retired from journalism and Third Door Media in June 2017. You can learn more about him on his personal site & blog He can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

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