The Net as a space for political militancy: technology and participation in the electoral campaign

Abstract

The definition of political participation has moved from an institutional conception (on many occasions restricted to vote and party affiliation) to other broader forms, such as attendance to demonstrations or involvement in social movements. These categories are being overtaken by more flexible and modular latent forms of participation that define new modes of engagement, and become expanded within the usage of the Net. In the present paper, these trends are explored during the mayoral elections for the municipality of Madrid in May of 2015, and focused on the instrumental party "Ahora Madrid" (“Now Madrid”). On the basis of in-depth interviews with 24 citizens who participated in the campaign, it is sought to define the profile of militancy as well as its digital uses, in order to identify practices of participation and digital repertoires of action. In conclusion, it is shown how the Net assumed the new patterns of militancy contributing to its development and renewal in the context of an electoral campaign.