Abstract

This paper examines the impact of Internet communications on electoral processes in Ukraine on the example of parliamentary elections in 2012. Internet is an integral part of modern electoral processes and the parliamentary elections of 2012 were not an exception. The author aims at determining the level and efficiency of various channels and forms of network communications implemented in the electoral process. Thus, the role of political sites, blogs, and social networks are analyzed. Internet communications were used by NGOs to monitor the electoral process. The innovation in the election campaign was the video surveillance at polling stations with the ability to stream online. The author shares the view of most researchers that online communications didn’t become the primary means of competition for a place in the parliament. Political parties focused mainly on manipulative potential of television political advertising and traditional political technologies. Thus, Internet was not considered to be the effective mechanism for bringing «political dividends». There are some other reasons why Internet communications had no real influence on the course and the results of the elections.