How To Use Snapchat's Election Day Filters

By now, your Facebook feed is probably full of "I Voted" sticker selfies, so why not head over to Snapchat to commemorate this historical moment with a special election-themed filter? It is unbelievably easy to learn how to use the Snapchat Election Day filters, so get ready for some well-deserved virtual confetti in your life. It may be illegal to take a photo in the voting booth depending on where you are, but with three brand new filters to choose, from this is definitely the next best thing!

In the months leading up to the election, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat have become key sources of election news, as well as platforms for political discussion. The candidates have been especially active on social media this year, utilizing the platforms to get out their messages. To that end, both Clinton and Trump have offered sponsored Snapchat filters aimed at young voters. Those Snapping yesterday, for example, may have noticed Clinton's Snapchat lens, purchased by the pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC Priorities USA Action, which dressed the user up in a short blonde coif and signature pantsuit that shimmied across the screen. An animated message reminding Snappers to vote played across the bottom, reading, "Make history tomorrow. Love trumps hate tomorrow. Vote for her tomorrow."

Millennials have the power to decide this election, so it seems natural for Snapchat to encourage its users to head to the polls. Reaching 41 percent of 18 to 34 year olds daily, according to a Nielsen Study, Mic reports that Snapchat could have a greater effect on voter turnout than one might initially think. Accordingly, when you open your Snapchat app today, you will find three new election-themed filters to transform your selfies into political celebrations.

If you haven't used a filter before, simply tap your face on the screen to bring up the available lens options. Snapchat scans your face; the filters will appear next to the center circle. To select a filter, simply click on the one you want or swipe from right to left until that filter option is highlighted. The first election-themed option is an augmented reality filter sponsored by The Daily Show:

Snapchat instructs the user to vote for their preferred candidate by smiling "if you're with her," or raising their eyebrows "to make America great again." Once the user performs the action, an American flag waves across the screen and the filter transforms you into an elephant or donkey with the some of the candidates' more notable traits (a blue pantsuit for her, and an orange comb-over for him).

Snapchat's second AR election filter option, entitled "Go Vote!", places an American flag blowhorn over the user's mouth and instructs them to tap the screen, showering them in a patriotic splash of red, white, and blue confetti. This innocuous bipartisan filter is perfect for sharing with family and friends across the aisle.

The final filter places glasses reading "vote" on the snapper's face and showers ballots down the screen.

So what are you waiting for? These Snapchat filters will only be available today, so get out there and vote already. Then snap all your friends to make sure they voted too!

Images: LilyFeinn/Snapchat (5)