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Yashvir Singh Director, Election Commission of India yashvir@eci.gov.in

Social Media and Electoral Processes First Annual EMB Dialogue Stockholm 7 th December, 2011. Yashvir Singh Director, Election Commission of India yashvir@eci.gov.in. “Democracy, disciplined and enlightened, is the finest thing in the world”. - Mahatma Gandhi. Areas Covered.

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Yashvir Singh Director, Election Commission of India yashvir@eci.gov.in

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  1. Social Media and Electoral Processes First Annual EMB Dialogue Stockholm 7th December, 2011 Yashvir Singh Director, Election Commission of India yashvir@eci.gov.in

  2. “Democracy, disciplined and enlightened, is the finest thing in the world” - Mahatma Gandhi

  3. Areas Covered • Impact of Social Media on Electoral Processes • How we are using the Social Media in India • Reactions (so far) and the Future Expectations

  4. Factors affecting Voter Participation • Age • Marital status • Education • Economic status • Residential mobility • Social connectedness • Religious involvement • Awareness

  5. Case of the Disinterested Youth • Global concern about their lower participation • Studies in UK, Canada, India suggest this • In developing countries, youth represent substantial population - a question mark on democratic legitimacy • If voting does not settle as early habit, potential for later date participation is more remote • Evidence that younger groups losing and even never gaining habit of voting – consequently carry lack of interest in to later life

  6. Impact of Social Media • Acts as a bridge between the youth and the EMB to fill up the void of information and knowledge. • Real – time transmission of election details, registration status, candidate profiles and important dates. • Information is presented in most presentable of forms. Youth gets what he wants. After all, there is a mammoth difference in likes and dislikes of a 18 year old and a 60 year old. • Use by an EMB only adds to the trust and veracity of contents

  7. Impact of Social Media – Examples • The revolutions in some of the non-democratic nations in the Arab region and the mass mobilizations against existing regimes were reported to be triggered by Social Media • The “Obama Campaign” had gathered followers through Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, E-mail and Mobile messaging

  8. Why EMBs need Social Media? • General Decline in participation, more consistently in recent years • 1945-1960 – average turnout 76.4% • 1961-1975 – average turnout 77.1% • 1976-1990 – 74.8% • 1990-2006 – 69.7% • Standard deviation down from 3% to 2.5% - suggestive of not much variation among nations

  9. Why EMBs need Social Media? – Viewpoints • Conservative point: voters participation, especially turn out at booths is a political agenda • EMBs are umpires, should not care if any one played or not, any one is in audience or not • Most EMBs have gone past this debate. If not, they need to do so soon • Voters participation initiatives cannot be half-hearted - should be the focus of EMBs

  10. Social Media and Electoral Processes • Can play significant role in mobilizing youth, if pursued with due seriousness and efforts. • Perfect blend of technology and social interaction • Information on all these platforms is crisp, precise and interesting. • Satisfies benchmark of expectations of youth, so very popular. • Extensive participation leads to quick updation with relevant details, answers and data. • Stocked with engaging content – opportunity for EMBs to reach out to millions of followers, especially youth.

  11. E-Media • Text ads – Ads, Keywords, Relevancy • Display ads – Rich media ads, Keywords, Placements, Websites • Mobile devices – Connect with customers on the go. 26.3 million active Internet mobile users in India, as of March 2011 • Social Networking Sites – Facebook(ECI is already active) • YouTube – 30.2 million users watch videos online • Blogs – Personal, non-commercial, updated often, text, image, links • Micro-blogs - Twitter • Email – Direct and cost-effective

  12. How Indians Engage with Social Media

  13. Internet and Social Media • 112 Million Internet users in India • 80% of the Internet users are eligible to vote The break-up of these 80% users is as follows: • 74% constitute youth • 26% are others (Women, Older people and Men)

  14. Indian Voter – Internet and Social Media • 48% of the Internet users are from less than 1 million population towns • 56% spend more than 2 hours on Internet as against 1 hour on TV, everyday. • 28 million Indians are on Social Media platforms like Facebook, Orkut, Google+ and Twitter • They are the ones who have created tipping points for public interest campaigns like IAC

  15. ECI Initiatives • NVD, 2011 organised at all Polling Stations across the country, empowering 5.2 million youth in the age-group 18-19 years • Facebook account of Commission opened • Comprehensive Systematic Voters Education & Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Campaign for Summary revision launched nation-wide • New interactive website of Commission is ready for launch • Guidelines to CEOs for SVEEP Plan for NVD, 2012 issued

  16. The Indian Experience • Facebook Account exists, but is not very active. • Workshop on “Social Media for Voter Participation” organized on 24th November, 2011. • Experts from the fields of Training, Advertising, Social Media, Academics, Youth Organizations, etc. deliberated. • Unanimity on the issue of engaging Social Media by ECI • Objectives of engagement spelt out

  17. Objectives of Social Media Campaign Ensuring 100% Registration Maximizing Voter Participation Ensuring ethical voting, free from inducement

  18. Outcome of Workshop • A Core Team of experts constituted. • The Team has recommended that the following Social Media may be actively used: • YouTube • Facebook • Twitter • Google+ • A formal launch of the Social Media Campaign on YouTube and Facebook shortly, in December, 2011

  19. Expected Reactions • Greater engagement of electorate, specifically the youth, with EMB initiatives • Improved online registration of eligible youth • Healthy interaction leading to effective and more dissemination of information • Exchange of ideas and experiences of electorate to be used as inputs for further improvements in electoral processes • A huge platform for discussion on electoral reforms

  20. Conclusion Social Media emerging as a dynamic option to maximize the outreach of the efforts/ campaigns of EMBs and is an unexplored tool which can be harnessed to engage youth and motivate them to participate in democratic electoral processes

  21. Points to Ponder……… • How EMBs can turn the Social Media followers into real-world active voters, while engaging them by means of targeted campaigns (on Social Media)? • How to create a bond between the online followers of Social Media and the EMBs - that generates eagerness to meet in real life (to turn up at the Polling Booth and participate in electoral process)?

  22. Greater Participation for a Stronger Democracy

  23. THANKS

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