Expedia : Encourages American Travelers to Vote - Even if Traveling

Company points travelers to Google for resources on absentee and early voting; Expedia® to alert travelers who will be away on Election Day

BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 17, 2016/PRNewswire/ -- The ability to vote is one of the most important American civil liberties. However, U.S. Census Bureau research shows that one of the primary reasons people don't vote is due to travel: they are out of town on Election Day. Several Expedia, Inc. brands, including Expedia.com®, Hotels.com®, Egencia®, and Travelocity®, are reminding travelers to take time to identify their voting strategy if they will be away from home on Election Day.

According to Department of Transportation data, on any given day, approximately 1.95 million Americans take flight. If a sizable percentage of that number of people fails to vote because they are traveling, that can swing the election in one direction or the other. In the 2000 Presidential election, fewer than 500,000 votes separated the candidates.

Absentee ballot and early voting are two tools that are particularly valuable for citizens who may not be home on Tuesday, November 8. That's why in advance of Election Day, Google is making the voter registration process easier than ever before by giving citizens detailed information on how to secure an absentee ballot and vote early, directly on Google Search. Check your voting deadlines, learn early voting deadlines, and see how to cast an absentee vote.

Every traveler who books a trip away from home on November 8will receive an alert from Expedia letting them know that the travel will impact Election dayvoting. They will be encouraged to cast an absentee ballot, or early vote in the 34 states that permit it.

'Expedia, Inc. wants to help eliminate travel as the reason citizens fail to vote,' said John Morrey, Vice President and General Manager, Brand Expedia. 'We are reaching out to consumers we know are traveling during the voting period to encourage them to take action before their trip. Google has several search tools available that alert voters to their state's voting policies.'

'As voters prepare for Election Day, we've worked to make the voting process easier and more accessible than ever before. Whether you're voting early or at the polls, we want everyone to have the information they need to participate in the political process,' said Emily Moxley, Product Manager at Google. 'We're proud to team up with Expedia as we use technology to drive record turnout on Election Day.'

Expedia, Inc. brands, including Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Orbitz, CheapTickets, Egencia, Travelocity and Hotwire are conducting email outreach to hundreds of thousands of consumers and utilizing various communication channels to encourage travelers to vote.

About Expedia, Inc.

Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) is the world's largest online travel company, with an extensive brand portfolio that includes leading online travel brands, such as:

• Expedia.com ®, a leading full service online travel company with localized sites in 33 countries
• Hotels.com®, a preeminent global lodging expert operating in more than 65 countries and 35 languages with its award winning Hotels.com® Rewards loyalty program
• Orbitz Worldwide, including leading U.S. travel websites Orbitz.com and CheapTickets.com, as well as ebookers, a full service travel brand with websites in seven European countries
• Expedia® Affiliate Network (EAN), a global B2B business that powers the hotel business of leading airlines, top consumer brands, online travel agencies and thousands of other partners through its API and template solutions
• trivago®, a leading online hotel search with sites in 55 countries worldwide
• HomeAway®, a global online marketplace for the vacation rental industry, which also includes the VRBO, VacationRentals.com and BedandBreakfast.com brands, among others
• Egencia ®, a leading corporate travel management company
• Travelocit y®, a leading online travel brand in the U.S. and Canadadelivering customer service when and where our customers need it with the Customer 1st Guarantee
• Hotwi re®, inspiring spontaneous travel through Hot Rate® deals
• Expedia® Media Solutions, the advertising sales division of Expedia, Inc. that builds media partnerships and enables brand advertisers to target a highly-qualified audience of travel consumers
• Wotif Group, a leading portfolio of travel brands including Wotif. com®, Wotif.co.nz, lastminute.co m.au®, lastminute.co.nz and travel.c om.au®
• Classic Vac ations®, a top luxury travel specialist
• CarRentals.com, a premier online car rental booking company with localized sites in 13 countries
• Expedia Local Expert®, a provider of online and in-market concierge services, activities, experiences and ground transportation in hundreds of destinations worldwide
• Ve nere.com™, an online hotel reservation specialist in Europe
• Expedia® CruiseSh ipCenters®, a provider of exceptional value and expert advice for travelers booking cruises and vacations through its network of over 220 retail travel agency franchises across North America

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