Technology’s Major Role in the 2012 Presidential Election
There is no doubt that software has been at the heart of this election season. There are countless mobile apps, websites, social media, text messages, and blogs for staying up to date on news coverage and poll tracking.
Mobile has played a major role in the campaigning process. For the first time both candidates, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, made technology an integral part of their presidential campaigns. Obama has an app called “Obama for America,” while Mitt Romney went so far as to reveal his VP pick exclusively via a “Mitt’s VP” mobile app. We also saw major web activity when Obama did a Reddit Q&A session that crashed the site a few times.
Technology has made it even easier to make campaign donations. According to Stephanie Mlot of PC World, “…about 10 percent of 2012 presidential campaign donations were made via text or mobile apps, according to new data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.” Combined with the 50 percent that donated online (according to Pew), it makes for a pretty impressive number.
According to the New York Times, a web app called Vote Planner was launched Monday before Election Day to give voters more information and help them plan their voting actions.
The site also shows contributions the candidates have received, broken down by industry, and endorsements from dozens of local and national groups. (Sunlight primarily focused on gathering the opinions of local groups in New York and San Francisco for this election cycle.) The information extends from the presidential race to state legislative contests.
You can create a voting plan and publish it to a link that you can share with others or email to yourself. By linking the app to a Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus account, you share whom you have selected for each race, and you get to see whom your friends are voting for. The idea is that voters who publicize their choices will encourage other people to vote…
This web app essentially allows voters to draft up their ballot and share it with all their friends. The rapid adoption of technology in the election prompts an interesting thought—Could the voting process ever go digital? While it is unlikely now, if testing and development continue to improve it could be a future possibility.
What technology did you use to stay in tune with the 2012 presidential election? Let us know in the comments section!
