01-19-2006, 01:00 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Canadian Election Results via SMS
"On federal election day, January 23, Canadians will be able to get up-to-the-minute local results via text message on mobile phones from CTV.ca and globeandmail.com. The innovative joint initiative between CTV and The Globe and Mail will be available, at no additional cost, to any Canadian mobile phone subscriber. In a North American first, CTV News viewers who simply text message their postal code to "ELECT" (35328) will receive real-time voting results from their riding after polls close from CTV.ca. Similarly, those looking for updates from The Globe and Mail can text the word "GLOBE" to "ELECT". Both CTV.ca and globeandmail.com will send updated polling information, national and provincial standings as well as other information exclusive to their own newsrooms."
Us Canadians have an election coming up soon, and wanting to know who won will be especially important since this election could effectively topple the ruling party of the past 13 years in Canada. This is the first time I've seen election results available via SMS, at least in Canada. In your own countries, has SMS been used to communicate election results?
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01-19-2006, 04:44 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 88
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I don't think there is anything this specific in the USA. The closest thing I can think of is if you subscribe to news updates around election time.
One concern about this system is brought to mind though. Couldn't this be used to spread false information about the results before the close of the polls?
For example, someone sends out what is essentially a spam SMS message saying that party A is loosing to party B by 20%. The result would be people who support party A would be less likely to go vote since they've just learned that their side is loosing anyway.
Don't think I'm supporting slowing the spread of information on an election day. I'm a big time news and politics junky, so I usually spend two and half days straight watching US federal elections. So I'm all for the spread of information, especially around election time.
I just see an opportunity for dirty tricks in this.
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01-19-2006, 05:20 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by cteel2004
For example, someone sends out what is essentially a spam SMS message saying that party A is loosing to party B by 20%. The result would be people who support party A would be less likely to go vote since they've just learned that their side is loosing anyway.
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Absolutely, that's a real danger - but in order for that to happen, someone would have to trick people into giving them their phone numbers...I don't think people would sign up for something unless they trusted the source. But you're right, this could be a real issue, especially in countries where SMS spam is common.
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01-19-2006, 01:25 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 454
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I will not text by SMS,
to hear dread Harper get a "yes".
I'll not read of encumbent Libs
chucked out of office for their fibs.
No RSS for NDP
and all their social policies.
And then the Greens, as green as grass,
name on the ballot, always passed.
Oh yes, I can't forget the Bloc.
With grievances around the clock.
First Nations, Commies: represented.
Christians, pets -- I've barely dented
the complex politics of a land
deciding who will get command.
I'll turn off this box, put on my hat,
and remind myself I've gone ex-pat.
(Sorry, off-topic. And there's fifteen minutes of pointless composition I'll never get back!)
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01-19-2006, 03:48 PM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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Re: Canadian Election Results via SMS
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
In your own countries, has SMS been used to communicate election results?
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Australia's ABC network has offered an SMS update system for state and federal elections since 2000. And considering how bent our country is on the use of SMS, I think its subscription rate is actually quite high. 8O
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01-19-2006, 05:30 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 39
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In Greece we had SMS results in 2004. But not only this. We also had a special website optimized for Pocket PCs and Smartphones. hp provided the hardware and Microsoft the rest of the solution.
http://ekloges.ypes.gr/mobile
It's in Greek but you can have a rough idea.
And while on this, a pilot data entry was done through Tablet PCs...
__________________
Andreas TsouchlarisMVP, Mobile Devices Hellenic Club Pocket PC Coordinator
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01-23-2006, 06:44 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1
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CTV Election 2006
Spamming by SMS is kind of hard to do. In Canada I knows its frowned upon. So U need to opt in to receive SMS from an official Short Code program. This is an offical CWTA program by the looks of it. Some aggregator firm called Magnet Mobile Media did it
I know a bit about SMS and this is a first for North Aemrica. The BBC and Vodafone have done a bit. In the UK we text like mad. Its a big thing on BBC political shows. There even looking at voting by text.
Glad someone is doing intresting SMS and not just boring trvia etc. They must have programmed a lot of code for this given their is well over 70K postal codes.
No mention of a mobile internet site. Are political parties using SMS to attract young voters??
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01-23-2006, 07:17 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 88
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Re: CTV Election 2006
Quote:
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Originally Posted by TXTFREAK
Spamming by SMS is kind of hard to do. In Canada I knows its frowned upon....
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I think it's frowned upon elsewhere too :twak:
:wink:
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