How
social media has changed Election Day
× Close Ad
How social media influences local elections 8
Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
Bill Conley walks the streets of
Lehi and speaks to potential voters on Tuesday, August 5, 2015.
Conley has made a goal to walk the entire town in hopes to raise awareness for
his campaign for city council and for multiple myeloma. SAMMY JO HESTER, The
Daily Herald
Check online
Check out heraldextra.com for comprehensive coverage of the 2015
primary election, including candidate lists and links to campaign information.
Campaign slogans dotting yards, street corners and even
billboards are not uncommon this time of year, as several Utah County cities
gear up for Tuesday's primary election.
But many candidates are taking their campaigning one step
further, having transformed their social media accounts into platforms to
promote their candidacy for city council seats.
“Social media is a loud megaphone in communication,” said Brian
Smith, who’s running for the District 3 Municipal Council spot in Provo.
The digital age is, in Smith’s opinion, a time when political
candidates need to seamlessly integrate their lives into their Twitter,
Facebook and other social media platforms. Doing so, he said, provides voters
with a look into the lives of the people they’re voting for.
“We want people to know their council member,” Smith said.
“That’s all part of transparency and the communication back and forth.”
Bill Conley, who’s running for a seat on the Lehi City Council,
said social media humanizes politicians and bridges the gap between the public
and the city’s decision makers.
“It’s important to reach out to people and inform them of what
is going on in my life,” Conley said. “I can’t tell you how many people don’t
know who’s running for city council, and now they can put a face with a name.”
To help residents further recognize their candidates, Orem City
recently posted several YouTube videos, introducing the public to the City
Council candidates’ views and opinions on what they can do to change the city
for the better.
Steven Downs, Orem's assistant city manager, said the videos
were inspired by the city’s need for increased social media influence.
“In the past we’ve always posted information, like the 200-word
blurbs, and then have the meet-the-candidate night,” Downs said. “Citizens
said, ‘Hey, we want that information digitally.’”
Now, Orem residents can quickly watch a video and learn which
candidate is right for them, and even view footage from the meet-the-candidate
night.
“I have no doubt they [YouTube videos] are being utilized. We’ve
heard all good comments,” Downs said.
Downs said between the videos and the vote-by-mail program, Orem
has had its highest voter turnout yet for a municipal election. And Election
Day isn’t until Tuesday.
“We anticipate more, as hoped for, but we’ve seen what a
vote-by-mail system can do,” Downs said.
The dive into technology has, for most candidates, been nothing
but a positive experience.
“In the past, maybe 10 years ago, people may be taken less
serious by doing a social media campaign,” Smith said. “But now it’s very
mainstream and ... people are more accepting of seeing a campaign logo on the
periphery on their Facebook than receiving an email directly.”
Candidates have also used social media as an opportunity to
communicate more freely with the younger generation, a demographic that
historically doesn’t vote as much in municipal elections.
“We’re hitting the entire range from 18 to 65 and more,” Smith
said. “Yeah, we’re trying to hit everybody.”
Conley said he uses Twitter and Facebook to update his followers
on his personal campaign goal — walking through every neighborhood in Lehi.
“Part of my social media campaign is that I’m the walking
candidate. I’m walking the whole city of Lehi,” Conley said.
As Conley walks the city, he said he hands out business cards
and sports a shirt that reads in bold caps “VOTE BILL CONLEY LEHI CITY
COUNCIL.”
“I don’t want to just be a name on the ballot,” Conley said. “I
want to be a face they recognize and that they trust.”
Without social media, Conley said voters miss the transparency
that is available to candidates through online channels.
“I think it’s important that the candidates be open, honest and
transparent and communicate with the perspective voters,” Conley said.
“Communicating through social media is critical.”
Smith said transparency is key beyond the election, and if he
can establish an open communication before getting elected, it will continue
through to his time if elected to the Provo council.
“I want them to see that I’m open to communicate through any
avenue,” Smith said. “My cell phone is out there ... all of me is out there,
and that’s what we need. We need more people to communicate with their council
member."
Kurt Hanson is the Breaking News and Courts reporter for the
Daily Herald. He can be reached at (801) 344-2560 or khanson@heraldextra.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @hansonherald.
No comments:
Post a Comment