Hotels.com Aims to Increase Voter Turnout for U.S. Travelers

DALLAS, Oct. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hotels.com® wants to help decrease the percentage of non-voters in this year's upcoming presidential election by reminding U.S. travelers to take voting action now, especially if they'll be away or overseas on Election Day, November 8. The ability to vote is one of the most important American civil liberties, however, U.S. Census Bureau research shows that in the 2012 election, 8.6% of people that didn't vote used "out of town" as their excuse.

Every traveler who books a hotel through Hotels.com with a November 8 stay date will receive an email that their travel can impact on-site voting options. Travelers will be informed about alternative voting options by using Google's search tools. Hotels.com wants travelers to vote early or request an absentee ballot for the upcoming presidential election.

"Hotels.com values the right to vote and we are doing what we can to ensure our travelers are informed about how and where to vote if they are away from home on election day," said Josh Belkin, VP North America for Hotels.com. "By reaching out to travelers and providing them voting information, we hope to improve the 57% voter turnout we had in 2012."

According to Department of Transportation data, on any given day, approximately 1.95 million Americans take flight. If a large percentage of those travelers fail to vote, that can swing the election in one direction or the other. In the 2000 Presidential election, fewer than 500,000 votes separated the candidates.

In advance of Election Day, Google has launched new features on Search that give citizens detailed information on how to secure an absentee ballot or vote early. Simply search "how to vote" on Google and you'll see informative results catered to your state. 

Learn more here: https://www.hotels.com/page/vote2016/

U.S. Census Bureau data: https://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/voting/p20-542/tab12.pdf

About Hotels.com:
Hotels.com® L.P. operates Hotels.com, a leading online accommodation booking website with hundreds of thousands of properties ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favorites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay. Special apps for mobile phones and tablets can also be downloaded enabling customers to book on the go with access to 20,000 last minute deals.

© 2016 Hotels.com, LP. Hotels.com, The Obvious Choice, and the Hotels.com logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotels.com, LP in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. CST # 2083949-50

Press Contacts:
Dominique Dorais – Hill+Knowlton Strategies 
Phone: (347) 405-0270
Email: Dominique.Dorais@hkstrategies.com        
@hkstrategies

Taylor L. Cole, APR
Hotels.com North America
Phone: (469) 335-8442
Email: taycole@hotels.com 
@TravelwithTLC

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SOURCE Hotels.com