What role should any level of government take in social media? (federal, provincial ,city, crown corporations, educational institutions, etc)

I would be so excited if governments and educational institutions made better use of social media. In particular, I think governments should take advantage of the widespread use of social media among younger demographics in order to raise voter turnout in elections.

The voter turnout for Alberta’s last provincial election was a dismal 41%. That is the lowest turnout for a Canadian provincial election in the last 50 years!

I think a lot more young people would be inclined to vote if a couple of things were to happen:

1) There were a way to vote online without having to go to the polling station. It’s not as big of a deal here in Edmonton to stop by the neighbourhood polling station, but for people in rural areas, the nearest polling station could be a 20 minute drive away, and they might not always be able to go. Also - let’s be honest - people are lazy. I think a lot of people would be more inclined to vote if they could do it without leaving their home.

2) Politicians got more involved with social media and interacted with their constituents directly. It’s hard to be an apathetic voter if your premier/MLA/MP/mayor etc. solicits your feedback and responds to it. This sort of interaction would be a way for youth to be directly involved in policy and feel as if their opinions actually mattered. Websites like dearmrpremier.ca are a huge step in the right direction!

What do all of you think? Would you like an online voting option? Would you use it?

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