Singles Used Dating Apps to Target Swing State Voters

Politically active singles used dating apps to reach out to people in swing state districts and encourage them to vote.

Election Day was November 3rd, though ballots are still being counted and tensions are high as the country remains polarized politically. Activists and organizers got creative in reaching people during a pandemic, in hopes of driving high voter turnout. Connecting with young singles in swing states via dating apps seemed an effective way to engage, rather than with traditional voter outreach methods.

The term “Hinge-banking” became a popular practice according to CNN. It’s a twist on phone banking, a typical tool used to encourage voter participation – but instead using the dating app to reach singles to ask them about their voting plans. 

Hinge allows people to change their locations, a popular feature since the pandemic began and people began expanding their options for virtual connection. Activists changed their locations to suburbs of major cities in battleground states likes Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Arizona, Texas and Michigan to connect with voters in these places.

"It is really hard to reach voters in battleground states, especially during a pandemic. If you can get ahold of someone who is undecided and is willing to talk to you, that's a gigantic deal," Molly Kawahata, a young organizer told CNN Business. "This is a way for us to reach these voters in another way and reach them where they are."

Daters used other platforms to get people to vote, including Tinder and Grindr, and even WhatsApp, taking the lead from the initial effort made on Hinge.

For some dating app users, it’s been a turn-off to talk about politics, and for others, it’s created connection. Interest in politics has grown over the last four years, and daters want to engage in conversation more now than ever before. Many singles refuse to meet anyone who doesn’t align with them politically. 

CNN asked Hinge about the use of its dating app as a political tool, and whether it approves. The terms of service state that users can’t share content that relates to “commercial activities” including promotions and advertising, which could be considered a gray area when it comes to encouraging voting.

"All Hinge users have the ability to share their political views on their profile, and we encourage everyone to discuss what matters most to them when making a connection,” Hinge told CNN. “To ensure Hinge remains a great and respectful place to date, we will continue to monitor any misuse of our platform according to our terms of service."

Tinder is a bit more specific regarding political activism on its app. Its policy states that “if the sole purpose of your profile is to advocate for a candidate, party or position and not to have meaningful conversations or interactions with other members - regardless of whether you identify as a member of a campaign or employee of an organization - then your profile may be removed."

More young people voted – and voted early – than ever before, signaling that politics is still a big interest, and will probably remain a topic of discussion on dating apps.