Social media users joke about 'canceling out' loved ones' votes: What to know about the trend
About 30% of Americans are in relationships in which their partners hold different political views.
TikTok users are hopping on a new trend to "cancel out" the votes of family and friends casting ballots for candidates they don't like.
Gaining traction ahead of Election Day, the "canceling out" TikTok trend features videos of users getting ready to go to a polling place or actively voting. Captions or on-screen subtitles hint that the user is voting to "cancel out" the vote of someone voting on the other side of the aisle.
TikTok user Isabella Hayden's "canceling out" video had more than 2 million views as of late Tuesday. In the video, Hayden is seen dancing to Ciara's "Level Up" outside of car with the on-screen caption: "POV (point of view) OMW (on my way) to cancel out my Trump loving husband's vote in a swing state."
Another TikTok user, @magaprincess, posted a video of herself dancing to a Bestie Boys spinoff, "Trump Around," sporting a "Make America Great Again" ballcap. The on-screen caption reads: "How I vibe knowing I cancelled your vote." The video had about 315,00 views as of late Tuesday,
How is the internet reacting?
Perhaps real to some and a joke to others, not everyone is a fan of the trend.
One of the top comments on Hayden's video reads: "Girl, this used to be me and this year my fiance wanted to make sure we could go vote together because he thought it'd be special. Don't settle for someone who doesn't put you first."
Jess Britvich posted a video on TikTok with the caption: "'Going to cancel out my dad's vote' and 'going to cancel out my husband's vote' feels especially dark when you realize they're also trying to cancel out our vote."
The video had nearly 80,000 views as of Tuesday afternoon.
Hope Walz plays into trend
Hope Walz, daughter of Democratic vice president candidate Tim Walz, also participated in the trend.
Last week, Walz shared a "canceling out" video to the Kamala HQ TikTok account. Set to Billy Joel's "Piano Man," the video starts with a selfie of Hope with an on-screen caption that reads, "I have to cancel out my dad's vote."
The video then transitions to another video of Walz holding a much younger Hope on his shoulders with the caption, "Jk my dad is literally running for Vice President."
How many couples are politically divided?
According to a study published by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor earlier this year, about 30% of Americans are in romantic relationships with individuals who do not share their same political reviews.
Can you really 'cancel out' a vote?
No vote can outweigh another, so no. The TikTok videos are just part of a social media trend.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at Paste BN. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.