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Author: Sabina Spătariu
Regarding elections, this year is considered one of the most significant in recent history. A combined population of approximately 49% of the people across the entire globe will have national elections in 2024. Furthermore, the citizens of the European Union will select the future members of the European Parliament. The number of voters expected to vote this year is higher than ever in history. The upcoming election campaigns are of utmost importance due to this exact reason.
Political campaigns
Understanding the concept of classic political campaigns is crucial before getting into election campaigns in the digital era and how they affect us.
A straightforward definition is: election campaigns are the means by which candidates and political parties prepare and present their ideas and positions on issues to the voters in the period preceding election day.
Election campaigns are crucial for democracy because they enable candidates and political parties to present their message, plans, and goals for the position they are running for.
Campaigns must provide answers to the question that all voters ask at some point in their lives: Who do I want to vote for?
Evolution of digital campaigning
The digital era has opened up a new frontier for creating election and political campaigns and with a whole set of digital tools at our disposal, political communication shifted.
How is the digital era changing things? The key to answering this question can be 'audience', specifically the number of people who can be reached without having to gather them in a particular location.
The presidential debate in September 1960 in the United States is a significant moment for demonstrating this. The first political debate to be broadcast on television took place between Richard M. Nixon, who was also vice president at the time, and U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy. The debate was watched by 70 million citizens throughout the United States, giving them the opportunity to watch the candidates live from their living rooms.
As time progressed, it became more common for candidates to participate in televised debates. At least it was until recently, when a significant portion of the audience moved from broadcast television to social media platforms.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the process of moving a greater portion of political campaigns to social media platforms was accelerated.
Social media advertising can be employed in any type of campaign, not just political ones. A specific advertisement is delivered to a targeted audience. In simple terms, you pay a fee to ensure that a post is seen by people of a specific age or location.
The amount spent on political digital advertising increased by 4.6x between 2018 and 2020 in the United States of America. For the 2019 European elections, the political advertising market in the European Union incurred EUR 100 million in expenses. It may seem like a considerable amount of money has been spent, but digital advertising has proven to be much cheaper and more precise than traditional television advertising, especially for state legislative candidates who need to target a specific geographic area.
Concerns about digital campaigns and regulation
The integrity of democracy debate can be compromised even though social media advertising is useful. What is the rationale behind that? It is difficult for citizens to recognize political ads online, and the main reason is that they lack essential information about what ad is placed by and by whom.
A public consultation made by the European Commission in 2020 showed that 96 percent of respondents wanted increased transparency on the origin of political content and 91 percent supported the creation of open and transparent political ad registries. The integrity of the promotional campaigns in the online sign is being questioned by this issue. It is crucial to have well-legislated legislation for political advertisements on the internet.
Here are some examples that demonstrate that political advertising is largely unregulated.
The only requirement for candidates in Iceland is to submit a report of their income and expenses every year, with a special emphasis on social media advertising.
The situation is somewhat similar in Luxembourg regarding the early financial reports. Despite the absence of laws, the parties have reached agreement on the rules.
In other countries, there are some rules regarding advertising via television.
In Norway, purchasing any type of political advertising and broadcasting it on television is prohibited. Labeling advertising in Slovenia is necessary to ensure citizens are aware of who placed and paid for it. On the day of the elections, there is a rule that requires a 24-hour silence. There is no requirement for social media advertising.
Belgium is a country that regulates advertising campaigns. Political parties and candidates must have a financial report. The situation in Belgium differs due to the ban on paid political advertising they had until 2015.
It is absolutely clear that there is a need for mechanisms of protection for citizens and well-established rules. The risk of misinformation is high at a time when artificial intelligence is constantly evolving. Creating fake posts on behalf of others is a simple task with the use of digital tools and that can have an impact on the voters, whether it is a good or a bad one.
Candidates-citizens communication
Using digital tools and social media can greatly enhance communication between candidates and citizens. Especially for the young people, who are more reachable with an Instagram post or a live video. There are many politicians worldwide who are using social media to gain support from the population.
It can be a monthly or weekly live on Instagram where candidates can answer questions from the people watching or it's possible to create a TikTok video that explains to citizens why their ideas on a specific topic deserve their vote. It can be a monthly or weekly live on Instagram where candidates can answer questions from the people watching or it's possible to create a TikTok video that explains to citizens why their ideas on a specific topic deserve their vote.
Without question, it is a good idea to have a simple website and a consistent social media presence where any citizen can access and understand your proposals. Not only can a hashtag and social media strategy increase popularity and communication, but they can also increase votes. 2024 is a great opportunity for candidates worldwide due to both political and digital reasons.
References
This article is published under the framework of the EFIVOS project. EFIVOS is an initiative aimed at increasing knowledge and awareness of EU institutions, policies, and democratic procedures. This podcast has been funded through project 101081482 — EFIVOS in Europe — CERV-2022-CITIZENS-CIV.
The European Commission support for the production of this article does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflect the view only of the authors, and the Commission can not be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.