Internet, SMS Used Heavily in Campaigns Around the World

Malaysia’s independent online news daily, Malaysiakini, has launched a comprehensive website, undi.info, on the Malaysian general election. Subscribers also can get the results of polling via SMS. … India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) uses SMS to stay in immediate touch with journalists for press conferences and tours, and to send messages to voters; it also has made its lotus poll symbol available to users on their mobile screen. … In South Africa, official websites and SMS registration were used in the official voter registration process. … President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea has a strong base of young, dedicated supporters using the Internet. … Cell-phone campaigns via SMS also have been used in Iran to urge some voters to boycott recent polls.

It looks like the web and SMS are now a permanent fixture in the election media mix.