Microsoft is using the Xbox 360 as a 2012 Election tool, with a brand-new election hub that will be hosted through the remainder of the political race. In addition to news coverage, the content will also encourage users to vote.

All of the content in the hub will be provided and hosted by a collection of sponsors including NBCNews.com, Rock the Vote, YouGov, and Face the Facts USA:

Microsoft Corp. today announced “Election 2012 on Xbox LIVE,” a unique opportunity for Xbox 360 owners to watch and interact with live election coverage of the presidential debates, learn the facts about the candidates and issues from Face the Facts USA, register to vote through Rock the Vote, and participate in live daily polling from YouGov.NBCNews.com will deliver daily election programming to keep users up-to-date on the latest news and analysis about the election and the candidates.

By far, this seems like one of the most intuitive partnerships that the Xbox Live platform has gained in the last year, as the election coverage in this cycle will be particularly heated with President Obama attempting to secure an additional four years in the White House in a still-suffering economic climate.

Aside from the political fervor that is building up steam, the Xbox 360′s install base will provide a huge audience for all the coverage from now until the election day. Hopefully, this inspires all 40 million users to vote, if any of them aren’t registered quite yet—it could be an incredibly positive effort.

Source: Microsoft