SHOVLIN PACKAGE
SHOVLIN: AS THE SUN ROSE AND VOTERS MADE THEIR WAY TO THEIR LOCAL POLLING STATIONS, ELECTION DAY IS FULLY UNDERWAY IN SYRACUSE, NEW YORK. FOR VOTER SHANNON BURTH, IT ISN’T HER FIRST ELECTION BUT SHE SAYS SOME OF THE REASONS THAT BROUGHT HER TO THE POLLS ARE DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND.
BURTH: “There’s a lot of things at stake. Women’s rights, abortion rights, and our democracy, to be quite honest. So today, I’m voting for our democracy.”
SHOVLIN: ACCORDING TO BURTH IF THERE IS ONE THING CATAPULTING THIS ELECTION INTO THE HANDS OF YOUNG VOTERS, IT IS THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA. THROUGHOUT THE ELECTION THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN RAKED UP 5.3 MILLION FOLLOWERS ON TIK TOK, WHILE DONALD TRUMP HAS 13 MILLION FOLLOWERS ON HIS PERSONAL PAGE.
BURTH: “This feels different than ever before. I think a lot of younger voters will be voting.I think a lot of it has to do with social media. I think for the first time we have the opportunity to be informed in really easy and comprehensive ways. Not to say that there aren’t things that can hinder that, like myths and disinformation. And just keeping in mind certain things like fact checking, finding multiple sources. Don’t get all your information from TikTok, researching candidates and policies, those kinds of things.”
SHOVLIN: I’m here at Irwin First United Methodist Church, where voters have been coming in and out all day. We spoke to a few voters who have cited several different issues that they’re concerned about in today’s election. They’ll be voting for local candidates while also voting for the presidential election. For Democracy in Action. I’m Mandi Shovlin.
Syracuse, N.Y. (NCC News) — Social media has been one of the main sources of campaigning between the two main presidential candidates to target a younger demographic of voters.
On TikTok, Kamala Harris has 7.6 million followers while Donald Trump has 13 million.
Shannon Burth, a voter at the Irwin First United Methodist Church, said this election feels like nothing she’s seen before.
“I think a lot of younger voters will be voting,” Burth said. “I think a lot of it has to do with social media. I think for the first time we have the opportunity to be informed in really easy and comprehensive ways.”
However, she does acknowledge the negatives that accompany all that comes with the use of social media for newsgathering.
“Not to say that there aren’t things that can hinder that, like myths and disinformation,” Burth said. “And just keeping in mind certain things like fact checking, finding multiple sources. Don’t get all your information from TikTok, researching candidates and policies, those kinds of things.”
