Modern election campaigns - Campaigns and their importance

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Modern election campaigns

Campaigns and their importance

Until the last 3 decades voting was much more predictable than it is now. Voters tended to have traditional allegiance. They were unlikely to be strongly influenced by the election campaign, unless they are "floating voters", these voters especially those living in marginal constituencies. These floating voters determined the outcome and parties were keen to identify and target them with their message.

Today voting behaviour is more volatile, so in theory more votes are "up for grabs". David Denver's analysis of the 1992 election showed that at the beginning of the campaign only 63% of the voters had definitely made up their mind, 21% made up their mind in the last week and 8% on the last day. Although in the 1997 election many voters seem to have decided their vote before the campaign began. It was time for change after 18 years of Conservative rule; Labour retained its massive poll lead at a steady rate and won the election comfortably.

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The campaign conducted nationally is now carried out mainly on television. It is designed to:  

  • Reinforce the views of those who are already committed to the party.
  • Recruit the genuinely undecided.
  • Convert the waverers in other parties.

The local campaign is still important in marginal constituencies where a small number of votes can change party control. Speech making and organising postal voting is important.

Appealing to a mass audience

Television has changed the way in which modern election campaigns are conducted. It is the most obvious way that parties can try to ...

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