Digital Campaigning: Challenges for Older Bulgarian Electorate

Abstract

2021 was an election year for the Bulgarians - they had to go to the polls for three national parliamentary votes (one regular and two early) and once again - for president. The pre-election campaigns for all these votes were held in the conditions of COVID-19 epidemic, hard political confrontation and some concomitant factors such as the European Football Championship, the summer vacations and the strong inflationary trends. Internet platforms and especially social networks became increasingly popular channels for politicians to communicate with voters. That is why the aim of the study focuses on the digital pre-election campaigns. The object is the dynamics of the internet connection between the voters (especially the older adults) and the MP candidates. The subject refers to the election messages of the leaders of the political forces, presented in their Facebook profiles. The methodology is comparative analysis and empirical study, conducted by academic research team from the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication at The St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University. The scope of the study includes those political forces that have passed the 4% electoral threshold. The results are indicative for those interested in digital political communication during social pandemic isolation.