Election Day is right around the corner, and this year\u2019s vote will have huge implications for our individual futures and the future of our country.<\/p>\n
Our friends at Google are placing a huge emphasis on helping to get out the vote<\/a> and recently launched new products to help people find relevant, state-specific voting information. Here at Expedia, we\u2019re excited about the tools because they provide people with details on how to vote\u2014even if you\u2019re going to be out of town on November 8.<\/p>\n Specifically, we\u2019re using Google\u2019s data to reach out to customers we know will be traveling during the voting period. To do this, we\u2019re analyzing our data and are sending an email alert to each traveler who books a trip that will take him or her away from home on November 8. These alerts notify our customers that their travel will impact on-site voting options. The emails then encourage travelers to learn more about alternative voting options with Google\u2019s tools.<\/p>\n We also have a page dedicated to informing absentee voters about these tools: www.expedia.com\/vote<\/a>.<\/p>\n Specifically, our data shows the highest volumes of travelers departing California, New York, Florida, Texas and Illinois in the days before Nov. 8.<\/p>\n Viewfinder Tip: Even if you’re expecting to be out of town on Election Day, make sure you exercise your right to vote!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n All told, the Expedia Inc., brands (which include Expedia, Hotels.com, Travelocity, Orbitz, Cheap Tickets, and Egencia) will send notifications to about 200,000 Americans who will be traveling on Election Day.<\/p>\n \u201cExpedia wants to help eliminate travel as the reason citizens fail to vote,\u201d said John Morrey, vice president and general manager, Brand Expedia. \u201cWe are reaching out to customers we know are traveling during the voting period to encourage them to take action before their trip. Google has several search tools available that alert voters to their state\u2019s voting policies.\u201d<\/p>\n As another part of this overall initiative, Google came out with a new search widget that has proven to be super-useful. Whether you\u2019re a first-time voter, a resident in a new state, or your state laws have changed since the last time you voted, you can tap the search engine for information on how to vote<\/a>\u00a0in the upcoming election. The tool is available in English and Spanish.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, a new in-depth search result provides information on ID requirements, deadlines, mail-in ballots and early voting. There\u2019s even a video that explains the tools:<\/p>\n