Elections are not just about who casts ballots – they reflect the citizens, parties, media, and history of an electorate. Fighting for Votes examines how these factors interacted during a recent Ontario election. Drawing on a wealth of sources, the authors ask three questions: How do parties position themselves to appeal to voters? How is information from and about parties transmitted to voters? How do voters respond to the information around them? The result is a sophisticated analysis of how parties influence voters in an era when new media is reshaping the electoral landscape.
William P. Cross is a professor and Bell Chair in Canadian Parliamentary Democracy in the Department of Political Science at Carleton University. His research focuses on comparative party organization and intra-party democracy. His recent publications include The Challenges of Intra-Party Democracy (with Richard S. Katz, 2013).
Jonathan Malloy is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at Carleton University. His research and teaching interests are on Canadian political institutions. He is a former Ontario legislative intern and policy analyst for the Ontario government.
Tamara A. Small is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Guelph. She is co-editor of Political Communication in Canada: Meet the Press, Tweet the Rest (UBC Press, 2014).
Laura B. Stephenson is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Western Ontario. Her research focuses on political behaviour and the effects of institutions. Her work has been published in several journals including Electoral Studies, Political Psychology, the International Journal of Public Opinion Research, and the Canadian Journal of Political Science. She is co-editor of Voting Behaviour in Canada (UBC Press, 2010).