PRI, 92nd Street Y and Mic Launch The UnConvention World Vote on Facebook October 17

MINNEAPOLIS, October 17, 2016 From Beijing to Buenos Aires, Lusaka to London, New York to New Orleans, people are discussing the US election. Public Radio International (PRI) in collaboration with 92Y and Mic, are bringing the global conversations together in The UnConvention World Vote on Facebook

Starting October 17, people with Facebook accounts can “vote” their presidential choice and explain their reasons through text and video in a global straw poll on the U.S. presidential race open to the 1.7 billion people who have Facebook accounts. The views will be entirely theirs, unfiltered by PRI, 92Y or Mic. The poll allows people to select from among a set of general reasons for their vote, before adding their own text or video explanations.

While The UnConvention World Vote on Facebook is not a scientific poll, it will spotlight the race’s global context, especially the views of millennials in and outside the U.S. on the issues in the election.  PRI will report on the number of people voting and their choices in maps and graphs, with breakdowns by age, gender and country, as well as U.S. state.

The UnConvention World Vote on Facebook is part of The UnConvention — coverage, conversations, quizzes, polls and events by PRI, Mic and 92Y highlighting the voices of millennials in the 2016 election. The UnConvention coverage is being guided by a closed Facebook group of 300 millennials around the world.  PRI and its Unconvention collaborators are using the group, poll results and online conversations tagged #TheUnConvention to support their coverage.  Conversation around The UnConvention World Vote on Facebook will also be tagged #WorldVote.  The UnConvention World Vote on Facebook can be accessed at PRI and 92Y Facebook pages.

About The UnConvention
The UnConvention is an ambitious multi-platform initiative to engage millennials in meaningful civic conversations during the 2016 election. The UnConvention kicked off on August 10, 2015 and includes streams of social, digital, audio and video content, as well as events created and shared by 92Y, Mic, PRI and others wanting to join the conversation. The UnConvention will hold a week of live events in New York City centered on issues important to millennials. It uses quizzes, polls, events, a private Facebook group of 300 millennials and conversation tagged #TheUnConvention to highlight the issues, views and voices of millennials. 

About PRI
PRI is building a more informed, empathetic, and connected society by creating multi-platform content that empowers people to benefit their lives and the world. PRI’s award-winning content reaches more than 18 million people each month, through over 900 public radio stations in the U.S. and PRI.org, and millions more through podcasts and social media. An affiliated company of WGBH, PRI produces PRI’s The World®, The Takeaway (a co-production with WNYC), and Studio 360® from PRI and WNYC. It represents and distributes public radio programs, including Science Friday, q from the CBC and The Tavis Smiley Show.

About 92nd Street Y (92Y)
92Y is a non-profit center for the arts and innovation, a convener of ideas, and an incubator for creativity. Founded in 1874, it seeks to create, provide and disseminate programs of distinction that foster the physical and mental growth of people throughout their lives. 92Y offers thousands of programs from its New York headquarters and creates community far beyond its four walls, bringing people from all over the world together through innovations like the award-winning #GivingTuesday and the Social Good Summit. 

About Mic
Mic exists to help young people make sense of a rapidly changing world. A premium news and media company built by and for the digital generation, Mic informs and entertains its audience with original reporting, perspective and video on the issues that will define the future. Mic reaches more than half of all college-educated millennials in the U.S. and 30 million people around the world each month.

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