Chicago woman creates website called ‘Senate Island’ to engage Gen Z voters ahead of midterms
By Brooklyn Joyner
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MISSISSIPPI (WAPT) — A Chicago woman has created a website inspired by the reality dating show “Love Island USA” to make voting resources more engaging for Gen Z ahead of the midterms.
“I made a website called Senate Island,” Anweih Cox said in a TikTok video.
“I wanted to create a more fun and playful voting resource for Gen Z to kind of inspire them to learn more about the candidates,” Cox said.
The idea for the website came after Cox noticed the popularity of the “Love Island” app.
“I was seeing reports of millions of people being on the ‘Love Island’ app, and it was crashing the app,” Cox said. “And I’m like, you hear about the numbers of Gen Z and people voting just in general elections, [and it] just doesn’t compare.”
The website, Senate Island USA, features senate candidates as “islanders” and includes a countdown to the midterms, daily polls, and profiles of candidates.
“We taken to Senate Island USA ahead of the midterms, choose your villa, whatever state you are voting in,” Cox said in another TikTok video. “It has the countdown to the recoupling, you can vote on a daily poll, and you go and meet the islanders. Here is where you can see all the islanders seeking reelection, all of their answers on the most pressing issues.”
Mississippi senatorial candidates, including Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith, Scott Collom, and Ty Pinkins, are featured on the website.
Cox said making voting information accessible to all demographics is essential.
“Just making that into a more digestible is important, and that’s all that matters, and I was happy I was able to accomplish that,” Cox said.
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