Google reportedly plans to ban post-election day political ads

Google will not run any election-related ads after polls for the US presidential election close on November 3rd, according to Axios. In an email obtained by the publication, the search giant warns advertisers they won’t be able to run ads “referencing candidates, the election or its outcome, given that an unprecedented amount of votes will be counted after election day this year."

In the same email, Google says it will likewise ban ads that target people using election-related terms, including the names of specific candidates. Axios reports the policy applies to all of the platforms where the company runs advertisements, including YouTube. We’ve reached out to Google for comment, and we’ll update this article with the company’s response.

If the email is accurate, it would follow a similar announcement from Facebook. The company recently clarified its stance on election day ads, saying it would not accept new ones in the week leading up to November 3rd. It also stated it plans to reject ads from political campaigns that declare victory before official results are available.