mandate.
Getting registered as voters is the first step electorates take in order to ensure that they are qualified to vote. It is the
case that many electorates realize at the eleventh hour that they might not be able to exercise their civic rights at the
polls either because of the scarcity of registration materials or as a result of their own procrastination. The mobilization
was a continuous process until the elections were held and results announced.
A concerned blogger (Omodudu on 12 April 2007) creatively challenged Nigerians at home to embrace the weblog
technology to actively blog and participate in the elections:
Can blogging do for Nigeria what blogging did for the American elections? Will bloggers use their blogs
as a tool for on-the-ground citizen journalism. Will bloggers post, up-to-the minute reports as the
elections unfold? Will bloggers at least attempt to thwart the efforts of the individuals who have planned
to rig the gubernatorial elections? Will bloggers take pictures and make videos of the pluses and minuses
during the elections? Will we stop talking about our cats and shoes for one day, and focus on an issue that
will determine how we live our lives in the next for years?
Snap a picture, make a video, write a comment. God bless you all.
Recognizing the impact blogging has had on American elections, this blogger compelled and mobilized people to join
the team of grassroots citizen journalists.
Similarly, other bloggers advocated a specialized use of blogs by civil society groups :
For civil society groups engaged in voter education... they could incorporate the blog into their efforts and
prepare by training up staff and volunteers on how to contribute to the blog before election activities even
begin
Here are some ways people might participate, anonymously or as registered users:
Post to the blog
Comment on posts
Add links to other trusted sources on the web as the election nears and takes place
Help others find their way to the blog and guide them through the blogging interfaces
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