The FKP Seminar on 22 June 2016 was hosted by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta. Arya Gaduh (University of Arkansas) and T. Yudo Wicaksono (SurveyMeter) presented their paper which tries to examine the impact of information and communications technology (ICT) on electoral competitiveness. The data used on the research was based on several criteria: village-level voting data, connectivity measures, and demographic and village characteristics controls.

The result of the research suggests that mobile phone adoption and reception of TV broadcasts are positively associated with voter turnout. This result is supported by the fact that television is the dominant form of mass media (based on a study by). Moreover, about 96% adults use TV to get news while there is the declining use of radio from 50% in 2006 to 24% in 2012. Further, the study finds mobile phone adoption to be positively associated with electoral competitiveness.

This research about the impact of ICT on electoral competitiveness has several conclusions. First, if mobile phone is to expand, the participation and the competitiveness of the election program will both increase. Secondly, mobile phone access enhances the transfer of outside preference where they found that the effect of preferences from the migrant’s birth origin is larger than the effect of the migration destination. Third, along with the mobile phone, television plays important roles too to the electoral competition. But from this research, it is now known that television is associated with increased turnout, not competitiveness.