Internet an Effective Tool to Reach Young Voters

By Amie Fenia Arimbi Jakarta ( Antara) - Internet is an effective tool for legislative and presidential candidates to communicate with young voters and voters who are Internet literate, country marketing of Google Indonesia, Krishna Zulkarnain, said here on Wednesday at a seminar. "According to a survey that we had conducted in 2013, about 77 percent of the Internet users are below 35 years of age. Legislative and presidential candidates can use various services on the Internet, such as Google+ and Youtube, to directly share their political views with these kind of voters," Krishna said. However, Krishna noted that when campaigning through Youtube videos or chatting through Google+, legislative and presidential candidates must have a two way communication with voters. "An effective campaign through the Internet is the one that is interactive, where the candidates can answer the question raised by the people who watch the candidates' Youtube videos or chat via google+," he said. Meanwhile, a legislative candidate from the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Galih Permata Apsari, said not many legislative candidates were aware of the effectiveness of campaigning through the Internet. "Most of my fellow candidates still believe that campaigning through television commercials and banners on the streets are the most effective method to gain votes from the people," she said. She explained although more Indonesians have access to the Internet, there are also people who live in remote areas where Internet connection is not as good as those in the cities. Indonesia will hold legislative and presidential election on April 9 and July 9, 2014, respectively. The Indonesian General Elections Commission (KPU) has set a target of attracting 75 percent of the eligible voters to take part in the legislative elections. "We have set a target of 75 percent. Hopefully, it would be higher than the target," KPU's general chairman Husni Kamil Manik said on the sidelines of a fun-walk organized in connection with the popularization of the 2014 General Elections here on Sunday. (*)