Google has launched an online South African Elections Hub as the country gears up to go to the polls in three weeks’ time.
The Internet giant describes the hub as an online portal where voters, journalists and campaigners can easily track all the latest news, trends and information related to the 2014 general election, the fifth since the advent of democracy 20 years ago.
“The Internet is playing an increasingly important role in the way that both political parties and citizens participate and engage in the elections across Africa,” Google says in a statement. “Since 2007, Google has launched more than 40 editions of the Elections platform, resulting in Google elections tools and resources being used over 500 million times by people around the world.”
South African voters can use the hub to access election-related information, including party and candidate data, where to vote, real-time election news, search trends and elections-related YouTube videos. The hub is also mobile friendly, it says.
“Technology is changing the way voters and politicians share information, debate issues and make informed decisions,” says Google South Africa policy and government relations manager Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda in a statement. — (c) 2014 NewsCentral Media