Politicians campaign through Facebook

Politicians have discovered a new place to try to find votes: the online social networking siteFacebook.

For many users, the website hosts cat pictures and funny videos primarily ofinterest to families and friends.

However, political observers have noted the site has become a mainstay of modern election campaigns and the federal election, set for Oct. 14, is prompting candidates from all political parties to create Facebook profiles.

David McGrane, a political science professor at the University of Saskatchewan, told CBC News that Facebook has picked up where blogs left off.

"This is sort of the first Facebook election," he said. "Though blogs have been used in past federal elections, the feeling is the feeling I'm getting is that technology like this, information technology, is going to become more and more a part of elections."

McGrane added that numbers make a difference.A candidate who garners only four or five Facebook friends, known on manypolitical sites as supporters,could be extremely embarrassed, he said.

Larissa Shasko, the Green party candidate in the Saskatchewan riding of Palliser, has a space on Facebook. Three days into the campaign, she counted 44 supporters on her politician page.

She uses the site to send messages, but has been careful not to bombard her supporters with spam, she said.

"I don't believe in spamming," Shasko said. "I think to use Facebook to spam people is irresponsible and it just hurts those of us that are trying to get our message across to a younger age demographic who believe Facebook is a great way to let us all speak."

Other Saskatchewan candidates have also tapped into the electronic age.

As of Wednesday, Liberal candidate Ralph Goodale, who is seeking re-election inWascana,had more than 600 supporters on his Facebook page. New Democrat Nettie Wiebe, running in Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar,had more than 250, and Conservative Michelle Hunter, one ofGoodale's challengers in Wascana,had more than 130.