Mobile internet and the quality of elections in low-income democracies

Yeandle, Alex (2025) Mobile internet and the quality of elections in low-income democracies. British Journal of Political Science, 55. ISSN 0007-1234

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Abstract

How does rising access to the Internet shape elections in low-income democracies? In a controversial, overturned election in Malawi, I show how online exposure can reduce incumbency advantages and improve election administration. Leveraging geocoded polling station returns and the expansion of 3G coverage in a difference-in-differences setting, I show that ruling party vote share and election irregularities decline in areas newly exposed to the Internet. This is robust to a series of specifications, including matching on pre-treatment characteristics and adjusting for polling station complexity. To examine mechanisms, I turn to interviews and focus group discussions with voters, party figures and election officials. These reveal that opposition groups used social media to campaign and organise, online platforms expanded the reach of civic education efforts, and election staff used WhatsApp to coordinate on polling day. The paper contributes to the literature on information technology, party strategy, and election administration in low-income settings.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2025 The Author
Divisions:	School of Public Policy ?? SCPP ?? Government
Subjects:	J Political Science J Political Science > JF Political institutions (General) H Social Sciences > HE Transportation and Communications
Date Deposited:	08 Nov 2024 10:24
Last Modified:	01 Apr 2025 08:21
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/125979

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