The Revolution Will Be Mobilized

Although the U.S. presidential election is still two months away, there’s already a clear winner: mobile technology.

For starters, mobile technology is proving to be a far more cost-effective approach to mobilize voters, according to a study conducted by the New Voters’ Project, Princeton, and the University of Michigan. The cost to political organizers working to get voters to the polls using text messaging was just over $1.50 each, compared with $20 to $30 apiece using more traditional methods (such as door-to-door canvassing and leafletting).

And while the Obama campaign’s much-publicized decision to announce its VP selection directly to supporters via text message got mixed reviews, it was a sure sign of growing importance of mobile communications in the political process. (For a more in-depth dissection of the Obama campaign’s social media strategy, check out this feature in Technology Review, registration required.)

BTW, you can watch a public service video encouraging voter registration that Palm helped to make possible at MobilizeTheVote2008.com.

Jon Zilber

Comments

[Everett]

Off-topic, but I just want to say thanks for finally releasing the Smartphone Radio Patch for the Sprint 700P. It was definitely a long time coming, and this phone regularly made me want to pull out my hair, but now that the only problem I experienced with my phone is a thing of the past (knock on wood), it very well may hold me over until Palm OS II.

By the way, please release OS II details early and often. Android is tempting.

[chris muscarella]

Jon, thanks for linking to our Get Out the Vote study and post.