Google Creates Election Hub For Nigerian Elections. Zambia Has None

It’s not the first time Google has created an election hub via its Elections and Politics page basically acting as a portal for news, media and other information sharing means on its platform so it’s no surprise that they have done the same for Nigeria. You can view the portal here.

The portal also acts as a platform for viewers to interact and share their opinions about the elections, as compared to Zambia’s current method right now of having debates and opinions shared on social media.

Google has clearly stated that their “…goal is to bring people closer to politics by making relevant information and resources easier to find and interact with. Our primary focus is the U.S. election process, but we’ll also cover global topics and encourage interaction around the world. This page will focus on impartial data and digital trends surrounding the political process. We are non-partisan and don’t support or endorse any political candidates.”

In Zambia currently undergoing a by-election, the sources are many. You have to follow a particular news source or follow a bunch of various ones if you need extra information that may not be available in one place. That have their own versions of the election stories being rolled out. With the Google portal the news is all in one place regardless of the source making it easy for voters and the entire world to catch up on the election’s progression. Pretty neat if you ask me.

With the next election, it would be great to see such a portal, where the electorate can freely express themselves and defend their parties, and also have the candidates join in the conversation. I think it would make for  a great education tool amongst themselves, even if not created by Google.