The election campaign for parliament in the age of the Internet

Abstract

This study examines whether the use of Internet‐based communication technologies during election campaigns helps candidates to be elected to parliament and improves their perception of being able to win national elections. Using data from the 2013 Italian Candidate Survey, estimation results show that the use of a personal website and Twitter during the electoral race significantly improves candidates' perceptions of winning nationwide election and their likelihood of being elected to parliamentary office.