TikTok Streamers Turn Electoral College into Attention Grabber.

In a TikTok Live stream that took place on the morning of Election Day in the U.S., a man engages with viewers while displaying an electoral map of the country. The screen is divided: on the top, the streamer is recorded shouting about the votes, while at the bottom, there is a U.S. map that changes color by state: red for Republicans, blue for Democrats, yellow for third parties, and beige for unclaimed.

The streamer, apparently auctioning off the Electoral College, encourages viewers to comment on a state and add a heart in the corresponding party's color. As the comments come in, he changes the color of the state on the map. Supposedly, when a party reaches the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency, he restarts the game. During his stream, around 5,000 people watch as states are selected on an interactive map from the website 270toWin. While the interaction is entertaining, some comments raised concerns, such as a viewer asking who represents each party.

TikTok Live streams have become popular on this Election Day, showcasing streamers manipulating the electoral map as if they were in control of the outcomes. Some streamers ask their followers to join in to share their predictions, while others seek to maximize interaction and monetization through digital "gifts" sent by viewers. All of this is mixed with posts from traditional media and other content, reflecting TikTok's algorithm tailored to each user.

This electoral environment seems to have found a niche on a platform like TikTok, where concise and humorous visual content can resonate more than traditional speeches. For instance, Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign has used, among other things, a vibrant aesthetic that appeals to a younger audience. In this context, TikTok is positioning itself as an important source of news, with a growing number of adults turning to the platform for information.

It’s interesting to consider that many people spend their Election Day watching livestreams from strangers with just a few thousand followers. In each stream, the content can transform into a game and be monetized, creating an incentive to produce more content, though not always of better quality. As the night progresses, many more interactive maps from 270toWin are expected to fill the platform, showing real-time results or simply reflecting the dynamics of viewer comments. In a comedic twist, during a new visit to the stream, it is noted that Trump had won the game for the 45th time.