Equalization and Normalization in Brazilian States: Digital Media and the 2022 Chamber of Deputies Elections

Abstract

The 2018 election brought a record renewal to the Chamber of Deputies. Four years later, 64% of those elected were newcomers or at the end of their first term. This renewal occurred amid the emer-gence of non-traditional actors strongly related to digital media. The objective of this article is to analyze how this new group related to online tools in the 2022 election. We do this based on the equalization/normalization debate, which discusses the effects of digital media on electoral competi-tion. Thus, we investigate the digital campaigns of the renovative group, looking for signs of equali-zation through statistical analysis of social media interactions and the investment in digital ads. Our results show that, in general, renewal is related to digital media, but not all renewal can be considered equalization.