Can influencers or social media be utilized as a means of promoting electoral literacy in the age of digital technology? It seems that the answer is yes.
This publication was informed by many election authorities that Delhi-based influencers, who have over a million followers and are well-known for their material on fashion, cuisine, travel, and technology, are being brought in to encourage voting and associated concerns.
They did, however, claim that sufficient care was taken before including them in the electoral process. A senior officer said, “We went through the profiles and chose those who are impartial and do not post offensive content.”
Influencers are being asked to provide voter awareness-related material and to come up with entertaining and original voting challenges that have the potential to go viral and inspire more people to cast ballots.
Officials state that a wide range of subjects are covered in the educational materials designed to teach voters how to properly exercise their right to vote, including the significance of elections, the electoral process, comprehending the ballot, voting rights and voter suppression, voter registration, assessing candidates and campaigns, and NOTA, among other things.
There is an urban indifference about voting in the city, according to Kinny Singh, the District Magistrate (West) and returning officer for the West seat. It is anticipated that the campaign would raise awareness and encourage people to visit voting places.
Since the previous elections, there has been a significant shift in the media environment and the ways that people consume material. Digital and social media
Revolution has altered outreach campaign components and the mix of media. Utilizing social media technologies was necessary to improve citizen involvement, especially among young people, and inspire them to cast ballots. We have so far recruited 15 influencers on a pro gratis basis for this. To connect with all of the chosen artists and enroll them as voter symbols, an orientation session was arranged, the speaker said.
“A hashtag, #ShowUpToVote, has been created, and the influencers are using it with their reels and videos on different platforms, like YouTube and Instagram, to educate the public about the significance of voting,” Kinny Singh said.