Social media in politics. The role of social media in the 2015 elections in Mexico City

Abstract

The role played by six digital social networks in obtaining votes during the 2015 elections in Mexico City is analyzed on the basis of the hypothesis that the greater the presence of a candidate in different digital social media, the greater the number of votes obtained. If this is the case, the question is raised as to which of the digital platforms studied would have greater importance in obtaining votes. By cross-checking the official electoral information and data from the Electoral Observatory 2.0, it is demonstrated through linear regression analysis that a positive influence is achieved through the use of digital networks to obtain votes. Likewise, by emphasizing two different variables – the number of subscribers that each candidate has in the digital networks and the information sent through these networks – it is observed that not all digital social networks contribute significantly or in the same way to the explanation of this phenomenon.

KEYWORDS: digital social networks, social media, elections, campaigns, Mexico, linear regressions.