In collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Snapchat launched an online campaign to motivate young people to vote in the Dutch provincial council and water authority elections on March 15th, 2023. The campaign includes a unique augmented reality Lens, Filters, and Stickers, which will be available from March 8th to 15th on Snapchat.
When you select the Lens, two virtual ballot boxes will be placed in the space where you are. Then, 12 statements will appear, and you can vote "true" or "false" to test your knowledge of the provincial council and water elections. In this playful manner, everyone can discover what the provincial councils and water authorities actually do. Starting on March 8th, the app will feature a daily countdown to the elections through a Filter, as well as an election Lens and Stickers. On election day on March 15th, two Filters will be available: one for people who are going to vote and one for people who have already voted.
Research shows that voter turnout in the provincial council and water authority elections is lower than in other elections. Almost two-thirds of all eligible voters skip an election at some point. To increase voter turnout, the government is running a public campaign, which fits seamlessly with the Election Lens initiative.
Many young people have little or no idea about the impact that provincial councils and water authorities have on their immediate environment, with current themes such as housing, climate change, and water management.
"The more young people understand about the elections, the greater the chance that they will actually vote. The Snapchat Lens contributes to this. With the Filters and Stickers, young people can also inspire each other to go vote. With this, and other campaigns, we want to show young people that their vote matters, and we hope to get more young people to the polls," said Hans Klok, program manager of Elections at the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.