If You Think Mobile Technology Does Not Influence Elections then consider why in the days leading up to the national elections in Cambodia SMS / text messaging was turned off.

Apparently, the National Election Committee of Cambodia has asked that SMS be shut down from March 31 to April 1 at 3pm, because "it can be used as a tool for election campaign by political parties".

So much for free speech I guess.

The report really sheds light on the power that text messaging can have on the political process. The election committee chairman, Im Suosdey, said the committee was concerned that political parties could "use SMS services to send messages to 20 or 30 people at a time to galvanize them to vote for their parties."

Duh.

He then went on to point out that being inundated with text messages could "spoil" the calm during the run-up to voting and on election day itself,"

Looks like one way or another politicians are understanding the power that mobile technology can have on the political process.

All cambodian mobile telecoms complied. The opposition party to Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party ( which has ruled the past 3 years) of course objected to the ban.

The real question, in terms of US politics is, if they are so fearful of the power that SMS and text messaging could have on electoral politics and GOTV then why are politicos in the US sitting so idly by... is it just that there is not enough steam to US politics? I dont think so...

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Technorati Tags: sms, cambodia, hun sen, cambodia people party

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