The current Upper House contest is the first election campaign in which the Internet is being used to convey political parties' and candidates' messages to voters — thanks to a revision of the Public Offices Election Law.
The revised law allows political parties and candidates to use e-mail, Facebook and Twitter, and voters to use Facebook and Twitter. Voters can show their support for specific candidates or criticize them, and send questions to parties and candidates.
So far, however, political parties and candidates are far more active online than voters. Voters should try to use the Internet more in the election campaign to ask questions and become better informed before they cast their votes so that it doesn't end up as a medium for one-way communication by political parties and candidates. Voters should remember that the Internet is for two-way communication when it comes to election campaigns.
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