State Election Commission is using Messenger bot to spread awareness about upcoming BMC elections

State Election Commission of Maharashtra is using Facebook and Facebook Messenger bot platform to engage Facebook users in Mumbai for the upcoming BMC elections. The online campaign ‘Mahavoter Project’ is a collaboration between Operation Black Dot, Facebook, Bot framework provider Gupshup and Mumbai University. The campaign by their own admission is one of the largest apolitical voter registration and awareness campaign in Mumbai. The current effort is in collaboration with State Election Commission of Maharashtra.  Use of Facebook Bot makes it easier, intriguing, engaging and fun for the younger generation of Mumbai to be aware and informed about the elections on the election day. The Facebook page of the campaign has about 19,000 likes at the time of writing. The bot is aimed at first time voters to improve the overall voter turnout in the BMC elections.    When you start the Operation Black Dot bot it says you to select the language and you are required to enter your Mobile number. Once you enter the mobile number, you are greeted with a ‘Welcome Mahavoter’ along with different sub menus that ask you to take the ‘Voting Pledge’ or ‘Join the Movement’ to ‘Strengthen the Democracy’. The bot also has a ‘Enabling Voters’ that includes ‘Voter Tools’, ‘Candidate info’ and ‘Election Analysis’.   The bot includes a ‘Voter Awareness’ sub menu where you can know more about the elections, voting and a ‘Voter’s Guide or FAQ’. Considering how important elections are, the bot has also added a ‘Free and Fair elections’ sub menu where the user is given options to ‘Raise objections’, take a ‘Voter Survey’ and ‘Voters Voice’. The group has also added ‘Innovation corner’ where users can ‘Share ideas’, ‘Share Creativity’ and ‘Share Articles’. While signing up for the ‘Voting Pledge’ it asks you if you are a college student.