One of the most popular dating applications around the world, Tinder, launched ‘Every Single Vote Counts’ awareness campaign in India as the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls – world's biggest elections – started on Friday. The campaign is aimed to motivate around 20 million first-time voters.
As part of the initiative meant to encourage the young electors, Tinder launched voting themed stickers to be displayed on the user's bio. The campaign has been undertaken in collaboration with Yuvaa, a youth media organisation and Mark Your Presence, a non-partisan outfit, that empowers and educates young voters to strengthen democracy. Till the election is underway, Tinder users in India will see in-app 'swipe cards'. They will direct the user to the Mark Your Presence website for information on voter registration and how to complete the process.
In-app voting-themed stickers
With mention of the term 'voting' increasing by nearly three times on Indian user bios in the last year, Tinder is introducing in-app voting-themed stickers such as 'Voting Partner Needed', 'First-time Voter' and 'I Voted' to be displayed on profiles. These stickers allow users to foster connections with like-minded individuals. Aahana Dhar, Tinder’s Communications Director in India, said “Over half of Tinder’s users are aged between 18 and 25 years. This collaboration is a great opportunity to encourage newer voters to go to the ballot.”
In a recent survey by Yuvaa about dating preferences and voting habits, 60% of GenZ respondents in India strongly preferred dating someone who votes. In fact, the surveyed young adults in Mumbai said that they find a potential match more attractive if they know the person is taking the elections seriously. Additionally, 79% of GenZ respondents in India, particularly those in the city, said they are more likely to vote if accompanied by a friend or date.
“In our conversations with young adults, we've observed a genuine concern about their civic responsibilities, which significantly shapes their connections with one another,” said Maanvi, Editor-in-Chief of Yuvaa.
