Municipal candidates mix old and new in campaign strategy

Social media might be taking over the world, but it's not taking over election campaigns.

Some candidates for Thunder Bay council say they're not giving up on old-fashioned door-knocking just yet. 

At-large candidate Kim Coreau is a well-known name on Facebook in Thunder Bay, thanks to her "Help Make the Homeless Smile" page.

She relied on the social media site in the early days of her campaign, she said, because she was recovering from surgery and unable to hit the pavement to knock on doors. 

But she'd rather meet people in person.  

"You find out concerns. You find out issues. It's really enlightening," she said.  "You find out how you can help the average citizen do better and progress the city in a positive way." 

"Facebook is emotionless for one, so a personal face-to-face interaction allows them to see who you are as well," she added.

Social media reaches younger voters

Twenty-nine-year-old McIntyre Ward candidate Wesley Ramage said he'd also rather knock on doors. But social media helps reach younger people who aren't as politically engaged. 

He hopes that "might be enough to get them to get out and hopefully vote," he said, noting that voter turnout for municipal elections is notoriously low.

Ramage said social media strategy can be a challenge for candidates running in wards because there's no way to know who on social media might live in a candidate's ward. 

Social media adds to candidate work-load

Social media has added to the expectations of political candidates, said Laure Paquette, an associate professor of political science at Lakehead University.

But it hasn't eliminated the need for traditional tactics such as posting signs and attending all-candidates meetings. 

"Everybody's awkwardly straddling," she said of the need to balance countless different campaign techniques. 

Some voters research candidates on-line, so candidates need a presence, Paquette said, but social media strategy alone won't win elections. 

"We have a small-town political culture in Thunder Bay and  people want to know who is representing them and want to engage them directly," she said.

Social media helps candidates reach lots of people quickly, Paquette added, but there's no way to know how politically engaged those people are.