Is it really that hard to spin up an IRC server for moments like these? I too have had to switch to Skype communications today. I wish people used IRC in the first place so I could write my own bots.
Inspircd is pretty easy to set up (as a server). Hexchat is a great client, Weechat is great for a commandline client. If you have server access you can also set up Kiwi which is a webclient, making it easy for those with less tech prowess to connect.
The search engine manipulation effect (SEME) is the change in consumer preferences from manipulations of search results by search engine providers. SEME is one of the largest behavioral effects ever discovered. This includes voting preferences. A 2015 study indicated that such manipulations could shift the voting preferences of undecided voters by 20 percent or more and up to 80 percent in some demographics.
The study estimated that this could change the outcome of upwards of 25 percent of national elections worldwide.
On the other hand, Google denies secretly re-ranking search results to manipulate user sentiment, or tweaking ranking specially for elections or political candidates.