election

Google's doodle tells users where to vote

Google's latest doodle may not be as interactive as some in the past, but it's pretty appropriate for the day.

The doodle follows an Election Day theme, directing people where to vote when they click on the Google search page image.

The first link listed is a box for users to enter their addresses for where they're registered to vote. Clicking "get my info" sends voters to Google's politics & elections page, with details about the user's polling place and ballot summary, as well as links to "insights," YouTube Live, and other election-related information. … Read more

Mark 2012 as history's last 'social media' election

As soon as President Obama offered the phrase "horses and bayonets" during his final debate with Mitt Romney last month, the Twitterverse lit up. It wasn't long before we learned that the quip turned out to be the most tweeted remark of the final presidential debate, good for some 105,767 tweets per minute.

The media duly took note of the occasion. In fact, each time there's big news -- Hurricane Sandy or a presidential debate -- the media quickly inform us how the event is playing out on social media. Indeed, we've come to … Read more

Can Nate Silver and friends nail their presidential predictions?

Anyone who's even remotely interested in this year's contest between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has no doubt seen countless polls, many of which have shown the incumbent in the lead, while many others have given the nod to the challenger.

In recent weeks, many headlines have declared the election a tossup. A common narrative being spread in newspapers, on blogs, on social media, and on TV nationwide, is that no one will have any idea who will be elected president until all the counting is done because the race is simply too close … Read more

Sergey Brin: Put out 'giant bonfire of partisanship'

Dipping his toes into political waters, Google co-founder Sergey Brin today asked elected officials to withdraw from their parties so the United States can move beyond what he sees as a political climate crippled by hostility.

"I must confess, I am dreading today's elections...because no matter what the outcome, our government will still be a giant bonfire of partisanship," Brin said in a Google+ post early on Election Day in the United States.

Brin pleaded that winners of today's elections therefore ditch their political parties so they can be more constructive:

It is ironic since … Read more

Twitter's Election Day 2012 event page is live

There's no shortage of places to catch up on the latest Election Day coverage, but Twitter is aiming to make it easier for political junkies to get news by creating a one-stop shop Election 2012 event page.

Curated by Twitter, the page is loaded with tweets from the presidential candidates, political parties, and news sources such as the Electoral College, CNN, and the Washington Post.

"It highlights tweets from candidates and their staffers, media, and other key players so you can hear directly from those close to the action," Rachael Horwitz, Twitter's senior manager of communications, … Read more

Our favorite free apps for Election Day 2012

Weathered by debates and endless political advertisements? We're in the home stretch of the 2012 U.S. election season now. Whether you've already voted or are still mulling politicians and propositions, there are plenty of apps to tap for an up-to-the minute perspective on the various battles.

Scan our brief list of mobile apps that can help you vote and stay in tune with the rapid-fire developments sure to occur tomorrow. Got a favorite app you're leaning on for election information? Let us know in the comments section. … Read more

Facebook pushes you to vote

Monday's CNET Update has the power:

The CNET New York office has reopened, and it's great to be back to give you today's tech news roundup:

- Apple sold 3 million iPads in the three days since new models went on sale. That number includes the sales of two models: the iPad Mini fourth-generation iPad. But the bulk of the sales are estimated to be for the smaller tablet.

- Tuesday is election day in the U.S., so prepare to be bombarded with voting reminders and peer pressure on social media. Facebook is making a big push … Read more

Facebook readies Election Day bits blitz

Facebook engineers are putting the final touches on an all-out election day blitz of products and features all U.S. members of voting age will see tomorrow.

Just as it did for the presidential election in 2008 and the midterm elections in 2010, the social network will remind users that it's election day with a message that appears on top of their news feeds. Then, when you click that you voted, that message will appear for your Facebook friends to see. This time around, however, Facebook will also blast out the message to users across all mobile devices, which … Read more

Uber gives free ride to voters

Whoever said there's no such thing as a free ride hasn't seen Uber's latest promotion.

The car-service booking app, which came under fire last week for boosting prices in New York in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, says today that it's going to give free rides to voters tomorrow. It's pairing up with Rock the Vote to offer the promotion, accessed with code VOTEUBER.

There are a few catches to this offer, though. First of all, it's only open to people who've never used Uber before. And the free ride is only valid … Read more