Google to temporarily bar election-related ads after polls close on Nov. 3

Google will bar election-related advertising after all polls close on Nov. 3, a spokesperson for the company confirmed Friday.

The move was prompted by the possibility that final election results might be delayed this year because of the high volume of mail-in voting driven by the coronavirus pandemic.

The ban will be temporary but last at least one week.

Ads referencing officeholders, candidates, political parties, ballot measures or elections will not be allowed, according to an email to advertisers obtained by The Hill.

Ads on election-related search queries will also be prohibited. Google said it will evaluate other ads on a case-by-case basis.

The search engine giant has implemented similar bans before, most recently the election in Belarus last month.

The company also placed a ban on certain advertising around the time that the coronavirus was declared a pandemic in March. Some actors, like government institutions and public health agencies, have had the ban lifted while others are still not able to advertise about COVID-19.

The decision to allow some advertisers to continue while barring others depends heavily on the particulars of the sensitive event, Google’s spokesperson said.

The company’s pre-emptive ad ban comes after Facebook said it would stop accepting new political advertisements in the week leading up to Nov. 3. It also will reportedly reject ads from campaigns prematurely claiming victory.

Twitter does not allow political advertising on its platform at any time.