You believe providing citizens information on how to vote is putting a thumb of the scales and biasing voters, and instructing you on how to vote?

Thanks for the comment! I did not and would not classify this as an "instruction".

However, given what we know about voter demographics and turnout in the United States during "mid-term" elections (low turnout among young people, with much "green field" to expand into)... it's clearly an attempt to influence the election, in the favor of Google shareholders' interest.

I'd cite references, but they are too easy to Google (heh).

It's a shovel all right.

(PS -- don't get me wrong or reflexively downvote me for perceived partisanship -- my party interests align with Google's in this matter, outside of anti-trust issues)

EDIT: to add, Google ran no such Doodle for National Voter Registration day last year, according to their archives. HMMMMM.

I mean, if broadcasting an innocuous "register to vote" is taken as bias against the party in power, then maybe it says something about that party.

I agree with you, though it's specific to the US Republican party (not just whatever party is in power). It's definitely saying something. Their key demographics are relatively more registered to vote and relatively more likely to vote.

General "get out the vote" and "register to vote" campaigns favor the Democrats.

I'm in favor of such campaigns generally, but in this case it's quite self-serving.