University of British Columbia Press
Fighting for Votes
Parties, the Media, and Voters in an Ontario Election
Distributed for University of British Columbia Press
Fighting for Votes
Parties, the Media, and Voters in an Ontario Election
Elections are not just about who casts ballots – they reflect the citizens, parties, media, and history of an electorate. Fighting for Votes examines how these factors interacted during a recent Ontario election. Drawing on a wealth of sources, the authors ask three questions: How do parties position themselves to appeal to voters? How is information from and about parties transmitted to voters? How do voters respond to the information around them? The result is a sophisticated analysis of how parties influence voters in an era when new media is reshaping the electoral landscape.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 The Political and Economic Setting
3 The Run-Up to 2011
4 The Campaign
5 The Parties’ Campaign Messages
6 From 1.0 to 2.0: The Online Campaign
7 The Leaders’ Debate
8 The Parties’ Campaign Strategies
9 At the Races: The Toronto Star’s Coverage of the Election
10 Did the Parties’ Campaign Efforts Affect Voters?
11 Vote Choice
12 Fighting for Votes
Appendix
Notes
References
Index