If You Think Mobile Technology Does Not Influence Elections then consider why in the days leading up to the national elections in Cambodia SMS / text messaging was turned off. Apparently, the National Election Committee of Cambodia has asked that SMS be shut down from March 31 to April 1 at 3pm, because “it can be used as a tool for election campaign by political parties”.
Jean Baudrillard, french media theorist, died yesterday at the age of 77. Many of you may not know who he is but his work has influenced millions, especially in the arena of post-modern media theory and pop-theory entertainment like the Matrix. Next to Jaques Derrida (the father of deconstruction theory) he is arguably one of the most influential public intellectuals of the late 20th Century (also including Chomsky, Foucault, Heidegger, Sartre).
Famous for his theory concerning Simulacra (see his work Simulacra and Simulation) Baudrillard argued that we live in a world in which representation and simulation have come to dominate over what was once thought of as reality, to the extent that our reality now often is our simulation of it. The theory reached public notary when he applied it to the Gulf War announcing that it had never really taken place and what really happened was just a media spectacle (not saying that fighting had not really occurred just that it happened as a media spectacle and not really as a war).
In his essay “The Ecstasy of Communication,” Jean Baudrillard states that we are in an era of “connections, contact, contiguity, feedback, and generalized interface that goes with the universe of communication.”
While he only briefly at times commented on the mobile age, his work has been used a countless number of books and articles written on mobile communications theory (I know I used him in my master degree thesis).
Baudrillard might argue that mobile technology has so penetrated our daily everyday spaces that those spaces do not really exist anymore and only seem to be made real by our mobile devices.
When once asked how he would like to be remembered after he died, Baudrillard commented “What I am, I don’t know. I am the simulacrum of myself.”
Applying his own theory to his death its safe to say that it never happened, nevertheless he will be missed.
MobileActive has a great article on a new mobile-to-Internet video communication service called Veeker and their debut of their mobile phone as a video capture and communication device during this year’s U.S. election.
Veekers “Veek The Vote” received over 750 mobile video messages from Americans using the video camera in a mobile phone to show the world where they stood on Election Day (thats a lot compared to Rock the Votes 24 submissions and Video the Votes 96). “Veek the Vote 2006†was the result of a partnership between Veeker and YouthNoise (www.youthnoise.com), the Internet’s first social network for youth dedicated to social change.
“I appreciate the work that activists from across the country, like those on VeekTheVote.com, have done to identify existing problems, and to help protect the rights that we all enjoy,” states recently re-elected U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) about Veek the Vote 2006.
For regular readers of my blog either here or on MOpocket the names “SinglePoint” and “Rights-Group” will not be unfamiliar. Both Rights-Group (a mobile media company specializing in mobile advocacy) and SinglePoint (a mobile messaging aggregator) have been working together for quite a while on a plethora of the mobile advocacy campaigns I have talked about here.
Well, now they are going official with this press release stressing that connecting supporters to their causes via mobile devices is becoming increasingly paramount to keep up with this busy lifestyle of todays mobile phone users.
The collaboration between SinglePoint and Rights Group bridges that divide by connecting everyone from the most passionate activist to the casual nonprofit supporter to their cause. The relationship between SinglePoint and the Rights Group provides constituents, advocates, voters and companies with access to timely information about political candidates, campaign issues, upcoming rally events and the ways in which they can get involved with causes and organizations of their choice.
The press release has a lot useful information on the subject from some of the mobile industries leaders in this very special field.
Last night she harnessed the power of the mobile medium once again. At last-nights debate at the University of Maine, Pat asked the audience in her closing statement to use their cell phones to vote for who they think won the debate. “Using your mobile phone” she stated, “text “pat†to 30644.”
Those that did received a text message ballot back asking them to reply with the corresponding number of the candidate they thought won the debate.
This is the first time an instantaneous poll has been taken using “American Idol†style voting techniques in a political campaign.
But U.S. Cellular and Unicel customers will sadly left out. Those cell phone service do not have access to contests such as “American Idol” and this debate query.
Nevertheless Within minutes, over 100 people had voted. By 8:00 this morning, 220 votes had been received. The totals were as follows:
LaMarche 120 votes, 54%
Baldacci 44 votes, 20%
Woodcock 28 votes, 13%
Merrill 16 votes, 7%
NaPier 12 votes, 6%
—————————-
Total = 220 votes
Voting continues into the afternoon as the debate was aired again on the Radio.
“Generation TEXT” voters who do not have or use a land line are routinely left out of supposedly-scientific polls that are used by many polling operations. This poll, by comparison, measured the opinions of those who watched the debate, decided to vote, and had cell phone technology and skill. The results show that, when approached and encouraged to participate, mobile voters enthusiastically respond.
The LaMarche campaign is thrilled by the active participation of Maine voters, both young and old alike. Based on the high volume of traffic on www.pat2006.com, word on the street, and now this cell phone poll, Pat LaMarche is on course to be the next governor of Maine.
In the interest of disclosure I am the mobile manager for the campaign in cooperation with Rights-Group.
Maine is not the only state that is taking advantage of the youth medium we call the cell phone this election. last Monday Michigan’s Coalition For Progress unveiled their mobile “My Future” campaign which harnesses the power of this cutting edge technology to engage young voters in this upcoming election.
While the the coalition using the medium to push out messages like “Did you know that Republicans in the Legislature want to make it legal for pharmacists to refuse to fill birth control prescriptions? Vote Nov 7 - Move MI forward!” like the like Lamarche campaign, the coalition also looks beyond SMS as simply a push out message tool.
The coalition is also holding a contest where someone can text VOTE1 or VOTE2, all the way to 5, to 388873 and they’ll receive a trivia question about Republican Governor nominee Dick Devos. The trivia questions are silly and a little funny. Each of the questions are multiple choice. If you answer correctly you get one message back and, of course, if you answer incorrectly, you get a different one. The really cool thing is that the questions and answers are phrased in such a way to educate and reinforce the coalitions message. And, because they are not officially a campaign, the SMS trivia will enter you into a sweepstakes in which two people will receive a 30g video iPod with the Coalition For Progress’ logo emblazoned on the back.
I would imagine that on election day a Get Out The Vote message will also be sent and somehow tried to be made viral.
With that all set up the only problem is making people aware of the mobile campaign, a real challenge when its launched only a week before the election. They have a television ad. The ad focuses on an instant message conversation with a young woman encouraging her friends to join “MyFuture,†a Coalition project that centers on young voters. The television add is probably one of the best shortcode placement in a television ad I have ever seen.
The spot is airing on cable systems across Michigan during the final weeks of the campaign giving voters information on key issues and motivating them to get out and vote on Election Day. It also will be airing statewide on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
The coalition has also purchased AdWords to drive folks to sign up. I do not know anything about signs and what not… a week before the election its probably hard to put the Text: Join To 388873 on lawn signs but signs in universities and youth hangouts help as do radio and newspaper placements.
The coalition also has ringtone’s which can be downloaded here. They are pretty good.
This is also one of the first campaigns to work directly with an aggregator to create its campaign, in this case DC based Singlepoint (also the sponsor of Mobile Monday DC)
In what I view as the first serious use of mobile technology in an American election (Edwards, Ford and Schwarzenegger have the technology but have really not used it to any great extent) , Green Independent candidate for Governor Pat LaMarche has launched a major mobile campaign a week before the election. Pat has already gained a reputation for technological innovation in Maine for her Online Town Hall and a Website that the Library Of Congress has already designated as a “historic ” site worth preserving in the federal archives. The mobile part of her campaign officially launches today in a very interesting way. As of this morning students and citizens of Maine will be ask to text the word “Pat” and a topic (example: Pat Health Care) to the shotcode 30644. Later today Pat will be speaking at the University of Maine in Orono where her speech will be based on the top three topics that students and Maine citizens send to her via text message. Very interactive, very neat.
Pat also will also be using her skill as a professional Radio personality to receive questions via text message in upcoming radio interviews throughout the week.
Of course, sending a topic or question to the shotcode will send a text message back to user asking them to opt in to what the campaign is calling “Pats Immediate Response Team” the purpose of which is to send out the latest insider news, call to actions, campaign ringtones and tips on how you can help Pat win.
Opting into the text message also signs you up to receive important Get Out The Vote reminders on the day of the election (of which will include information on where to go to vote). The text will also ask users to send a text message to at least 5 people reminding them to go vote.
Of course, users can just text the word “Pat” to 30644 if all they want to do is opt in for the Immediate Response Team.
The mobile part of the campaign is aimed mostly at Maines young voters and as of the press release last night they have already have 135 people signed up.
Jed Alpert of Rights-Group has teamed up with Working Assets to create a Voter Protection Immediate Response Network should any problems arise during this November 7th midterm elections. You may remember that Rights-Group used their Immediate Response Network technology for PFAW#039s Save The Court campaign. It was very successful with uprising opt-in rates.
Much like PFAW#039s efforts Working Assets hopes to deliver a text message or place a call straight to your phone with a short and easy action that could help save the election, should something seem fishy. Why? Because there is not enough time to send out so many emails and because the issue#039s are of the utmost urgency Working Assets would like to reach you wherever you are.
The concerns and actions are everything from making simple phone calls to he local election offices to keep the polls open to compensate for delayed poll openings to asking people (via text message) to show up in person to witness poll closing procedures.
This may also include interviewing people who had problems voting with Camera phones and then posting it directly to the web! Which is an AMAZING IDEA if Working Assets has a no brainer mobile video upload infrastructure in place (can someone say Shozu or Nakama or Comvu?)
A while ago I reported on a story filed on the popular RocketBoom about how two Polio victims in Kenya found a means for a life income using mobile phones (read here). Well Ruud Elmendorp has done it again making yet another short report on the impact that the mobile phone has had on the developing nation of Kenya and its citizens. This story is less humanitarian and more logistical but VERRY interesting nonetheless.
Highlights include how the mobile phone has helped shop keepers, there are over 7 million mobile subscribers in Kenya.
Mobile phones first become popular in Kenya in the year 2000 when two carriers where launched. The biggest, Safaricom, is halfed owned by the Kenya government and Vodafone. The network now reaches one fifth of Kenya’s 32 million population.
These figures are staggering when you consider that most Kenyans live on less than 3 dollars a day.
According to Michael Joseph (CEO of Kenya carrier Safaricom) downtown Nairobi has the highest square foot mobile traffic than anywhere in the world because that is what they use as their prime means of communication.” He claims that the huge growth in mobile phone use simply the result of a lack of an alternative. “They absolutely have to have it because there was nothing else.”
The cell phone carriers have made also peaked growth by making calls very cheap. A majority of the plans are prepaid and airtime come in small amounts such as 3 dollar and even 75 cent phone cards.
Subscribers in Kenya are not in the same profile as those in Europe. Calls are very short (20-40 second average). They make 2-3 calls a day.
Phone markets have become very popular with phones ranging from 35 dollars to 350 dollars.
Once again this shows the raw power that cell phones have even when they are stripped down to their basic functionality. They are a new technology with a different medium.
There is no mention of SMS in the report but I am sure that, as a cheaper alternative, their is heavy usage there.
While the calls in Kenya may be short and infrequent they sure can have a large impact.
The National Journal’s Daily Briefing on politics “The Hotline,” Has a very interesting article on a discussion of mobile technology and politics that took place last week. In the interest of disclosure I agree with everything the “mobile guru” quoted in the article talks about.
If You Think Mobile Technology Does Not Influence Elections then consider why in the days leading up to the national elections in Cambodia SMS / text messaging was turned off. Apparently, the National Election Committee of Cambodia has asked that SMS be shut down from March 31 to April 1 at 3pm, because “it can be used as a tool for election campaign by political parties”. 
