Tinder now lets you swipe right for the presidential candidate of your dreams.
Who's your presidential match? Tinder wants to know.
Not to freak you out, but ... we're all about to be in a long-term relationship, whether we like it or not.
We'll be forced to meet their parents. Their photos will dominate our Facebook newsfeeds for months, and they'll probably break our hearts at some point after we've given them nothing but support.
I'm talking about the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, of course.
But with so many candidates, how can you be sure you've found your special one? The one who likes the things you like and believes in the things you believe in? The one that's worth waiting hours outside a public library or school cafeteria to vote for? If you're going to be stuck with this person for the next four to eight years, surely that's not a decision to be taken lightly, right?
The good news is, thanks to dating app Tinder, all it takes is a few swipes to make the choice that's right for you.
Tinder, the dating app that brought "swiping" to approve potential mates into the mainstream has partnered with nonpartisan group Rock the Vote to launch "Swipe the Vote" (get it?) on March 23, 2016. The aim is to get millennials to the voting booth this November by matching them with candidates based on the issues. It's a pretty worthwhile cause, too, considering young people have a tendency to not show up on Election Day.
If you're a Tinder user swiping through profiles, you'll eventually stumble across a screen that looks something like this:
If you tap to find your presidential match, you'll be asked to swipe right if you agree or left if you disagree in response to questions about 10 hot-button issues.
If you want to learn more about the topic, you can tap the screen. Tinder will provide some more context, like what you see below regarding marriage equality:
Tinder will then match you with one of the Democratic or Republican candidates based on your swipes.
Your screen will look something like these two — the user on the left was an 80% match with Bae Bernie Sanders, while the user on the right was a 100% match with Mr. Right (Wing) Donald Trump:
"Swipe the Vote" also shows you how you compare with the other baes/candidates and lets you learn more about where they stand on the various issues. And from there, you can easily get down on one knee — er, register to vote — through Rock the Vote. Easy!
Before you dive into the app headfirst, though, you really should get a rough understanding of what these folks could be like as a partner.
I mean, we're not talking one-night-stands, people, so you better choose wisely...
Let's look at John Kasich.
He's a nice Midwestern fella who'd probably get along great with Ma and Pa. But be warned: If you're a woman, he might feel entitled to tell you what to do with your body.
Then there's Hillary Clinton.
If you're looking for a woman who will explore the world with you (instead of, say, staying home and baking cookies), Hillary's your gal. Although, to be fair, there might be some trust issues.
Ah, Bernie Sanders.
He's the hip guy at the party who's been cool forever, but (for some reason) everyone's just now noticing. Don't be surprised if he promises you the world and can't follow through, though.
Ted Cruz certainly isn't for everyone.
But if you're an old school-type when it comes to going steady, Ted might be your guy. If you two settle down and buy a house, he might give your new neighbors some trouble though, FYI.
Donald Trump would be ... an acquired taste.
If you're someone who appreciates a good-sized bank account, Donald's the man. He doesn't, however, have the bestreputation among the ladies (hm, maybe because of this, this, and this).
So ... are you ready to take the plunge?
Yeah? Hooray! Get to Tindering! Or, if you're not the dating app kind, find out how to register to vote here.
Not ready yet? That's OK! This is a big commitment. Learn more about the candidates here.