SMS in Politics

MP Message Flood - Dec 5 2004

Australian voters already reeling from mail-outs and recorded messages from politicians are about to be bombarded by text-happy MPs, reports the The Herald Sun.

"A ministerial decision has given the green light for MPs to text constituents with everything from electorate news to the latest government programs and Christmas greetings.

Federal politicians are still barred from spamming an electorate in one hit. But they can now text up to 7000 constituents, or almost 10 per cent of their electorate, over three years.

The cost would amount to about $1800 an MP over three years.

Questions remain as to how the MPs would get phone numbers, but parties spend considerable resources building databases of information on their constituents.

MPs will be able to ask constituents for their mobile numbers, but increasing numbers are listing their mobile numbers in the directory. "

Italy 'Text Tax' Sparks Outrage - Nov 16 2004

Italians have reacted angrily to government proposals to bring in a tax on mobile phone text messages, reports the BBC.

"With 27 billion text messages sent by Italy's residents last year, even a small surtax could raise a fortune.

But Italians - who own more mobile phones and send more text messages per head of population than any other nation - are unlikely to support it.

The plan was set out in parliament last week as part of the prime minister's attempt to cut taxes and slash government spending.

Opponents of the proposed surtax argue it could be illegal in any case. Italians already pay VAT on each text they send, so adding a surtax on top of that may be against the law.

But there could be one advantage to Italians if the measure was passed and resulted in fewer texts being sent.

Italy's largest private investigation company said last year that in nearly 90% of cases, it is people's mobile phone which reveals or betrays extra-marital activities."

London Reveals E-Voting Plans - Oct 15 2004

London mayor Ken Livingstone is looking to introduce electronic voting across the capital in time for the next Greater London Authority mayoral elections in 2008, according to Silicon.com.

"An information notice by the GLA reveals plans for e-voting using the internet, telephone, mobile phone, text messaging, e-voting booths and digital TV. The plans also include electronic counting systems for manual paper votes."

Canadian Politicians Look to Engage Young Voters with Text Messaging - April 19 2004

There doesn't seem to be much written about Canadians sending text messages, so this article on politicial parties reaching out to young voters by SMS is welcome news.

Canadian mobile phone users can now interact with the country's political parties by sending and receiving text messages. The unique initiative is designed to engage young voters in the issues of the upcoming federal election, reports The Edmonton Journal.

"Anyone with a mobile phone can use a six-digit short codeto send a question to political party headquarters. These codes will be included in advertising and campaign materials for the Liberal, Conservative, NDP and Green parties. Representatives at the parties will then respond to the question via text message".

Voters Take To Registration by SMS - Feb 1 2004

Nearly 200,000 voters have registered to vote using SMS during the last registration weekend in South Africa, reports Mike Grenville from 160characters.org.

"The Independent Electoral Commission received about 121,000 calls to its toll free number and 183,398 enquiries via SMS reports The Sunday Times of South Africa

More than 3,149,880 people visited approximately 17,000 voting stations countrywide over the two-day period".

Military Coup Rumours Spread by SMS in Texting Capital of the World - Aug 3 2003

Manilla Police Chief, Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco, issued a statement to the people Saturday, following last week's Armed Forces mutiny, cautioning them not to believe in text messages reporting another coup.

"Text messages from a so-called Magdalo 727, that try to scare residents with reports of another uprising are spreading across the metropolis, is only trying to sow destabilization", he said, according abs-cbnnews.com.

General Velasco has every right to be concerned, text messaging, in a case history, toppled a previous government in the Philippines.

SMS Voting in UK Elections - May 1 2003

In the biggest experiment in electronic and postal voting to date, 59 local authorities are offering 6.5 million electors new voting opportunities in an effort to increase voter turnout which has progressively worsened over recent years, according to an article in the BBC.

Voters will be able to cast votes by SMS, touch-tone telephone, the internet, interactive digital television and touch screen equipment at polling stations, in elections to the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and thousands of council seats across England and Scotland.

In a previous experiment conducted on a trial basis run by BT last May 2nd, Liverpool voters were able to vote by texting in local elections, an attempt by the councils to encourage young voters to have their say in government affairs. (Mercury News).

Norwegians Complete Tax Forms by SMS - April 4 2003

In a world first, The Norwegian Inland Revenue is giving Norwegians the chance to complete their tax returns by text message. It applies to taxpayers who have no changes to make to the form they receive in the post. Last year, 1.5 million Norwegian taxpayers returned the form unchanged. This year, they can simply send a text message with a code word, their identity number and a pin code instead, according to an article in Ananova.