On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, Google launched a new website that is intended to serve as an exclusive election resource during the 2012 campaign. The information provided by the “Politics & Elections” Google page includes news articles organized by candidates and issues; aTrends Dashboard that tracks the candidates people are searching for, watching, and reading about online; an “On the Ground” section that features an interactive map providing area-specific election information, such as videos and news articles from a particular city; and links to other election resources, including YouTube Politics and the 2012 Political Calendar.  

In a statement issued to Mashable, a Google spokesperson explained, “As Nov. 6, 2012, draws closer, the site will evolve into a robust election hub where citizens can watch, learn, discuss, participate — and perhaps even make an impact on — the digital campaign trail as it blazes forward to the election of the next President of the United States.”

While Google is famous for helping to drive traffic to news sites, Mashable emphasizes that Google has increased its efforts to become not just a portal, but a “destination for political information with campaign tools, a dedicated YouTube channel and virtual town halls.” Google has itself become a resource, making election coverage and campaign information easily accessible to online users.