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Political Campaigns and Social Media: A Study of #mhe13 in Ireland

Abstract This report documents the 2013 Meath East by-election through the lens of social media. It makes the point that social media can be used as a tool to examine political campaigns. Candidates use social media including Twitter and Facebook to market, to mobilise and to engage with their supporters and the general public. Utilising all the major party candidates’ Twitter and Facebook activity during the 2013 Meath East by-election campaign, this report finds that candidates vary greatly in their use of social media but almost all place a greater emphasis on marketing and mobilising over engaging. In addition, it examines the extent to which social media can deliver a preference vote bonus, finding a significant (but small) effect.