Social networking site extends its reach into the political realm
In previous election years, voters have always liked to match a candidate’s name with a face. Now, Facebook offers students the option to take this a step further and match a name with a Facebook profile.
The election 2006 Facebook network went live on Sept. 1. It contains over 1,600 House, Senate, and gubernatorial candidates. The new network will be active until the end of Election Day on Nov. 7 to encourage young voters to be more involved in politics.
Candidates who have signed up have a Facebook profile similar to the ones offered to college students around the nation.
The new network allows for Facebook users across the country to see election polls in their own area or anywhere in the country by going to the “Election Polls” link on each candidate’s profile. Any Facebook user can vote or see how other Facebook users rate each of the candidates. College students on Facebook also have the option to list their support for a certain candidate on their own profiles.
“This does encourage participation in the political process,” said senior political science major Justin Yarusso. He also said that the changes create a sort of peer pressure and make people want to be more involved in the political process.
“If they are already inclined to be involved in politics, they are going to be,” said Jarryd Allison, a sophomore aerospace engineering major. Allison said he is friends with Bob Beauprez on Facebook, and that because Facebook has so many users, it helps raise awareness about the election because people can see the issues and candidates that other members support.
After the network’s debut, any candidates voted out in the primary elections had their profiles removed from the network. After Nov. 7, the election network will be terminated. Until then, Facebook users can go to any candidate’s profile and catch a glimpse of their life outside of the rigors of politics.
“Facebook is making being in politics popular,” said junior Spanish and communication major Amy Hogue.
Facebook’s popularity among college students makes it an extremely effective medium for campaign advertising.
“With most students being occupied with television, iPods and the Internet, this is another way of getting the youth interested in politics,” said Daniel Choi, a sophomore political science major.
Facebook also now offers students the ability to create political groups in support or against certain election issues. Groups such as “Ritter Not My Governer” offer an environment where people with common political beliefs can write about the election. Candidates are also able to post messages for these groups to encourage volunteering or voting.
“It takes a lot of kids who wouldn’t think twice about volunteering and puts the opportunity in front of them on Facebook,” said August Ritter, son of Colorado gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter. “They can be as involved as they want to be.”
Representatives from Beauprez’s campaign did not return calls on this issue.
Another feature of the election network is the ability to write on a candidate’s wall. This allows any college student with a Facebook profile to offer feedback and input to a campaign. Yarusso said wall signings are not specifically ads for candidates, but they are used to gain and show support.
“We highly encourage everyone to take advantage of this rare opportunity to reach an influential demographic,” Carolyn Abram, a spokesperson for Facebook, said in an e-mail.
Candidate’s profiles are limited somewhat compared to the typical setup for a college student. Candidates cannot be tagged in any photos, and they do not have to confirm friend requests. Instead, everyone who adds a candidate as a friend is automatically approved.
