Allameh Tabataba’i University New Media Studies 2538-2209 2 5 2016 03 20 Facebook and Voting Behavior: an Analytical Approach to Iran’s Presidential Election in 2013 Facebook and Voting Behavior: an Analytical Approach to Iran’s Presidential Election in 2013 1 32 7003 10.22054/cs.2017.7003 FA Mohammad Rezaei Maryam Pooraskari Journal Article 2016 01 05 This study tries to examine the relations between using Facebook and people’s voting behavior in Iran’s presidential election in 2013. Taking a qualitative approach, we used virtual ethnography and observation techniques, as well as in-depth interviews to gather the research data and we used thematic analysis to analyze to gathered data. The results show that for a number of reasons, Facebook played a role in changing people’s minds from not attending the election to taking part in it. The election was the first after the disputed presidential election in 2009 and some people considered voting a taboo. Lack of dialogue and political discussion in Iran’s political and media environment outside Facebook, improved the website’s role. Another reason was the fact that Facebook provided an alternative to the state media. We argue that analyzing the effects of specific social media is only possible if one looks into the country’s political environment and the role of the social media websites in the society. The results show that political arguments may result in increasing people’s level of political information or motivation, but don’t necessarily change their voting behavior. This study tries to examine the relations between using Facebook and people’s voting behavior in Iran’s presidential election in 2013. Taking a qualitative approach, we used virtual ethnography and observation techniques, as well as in-depth interviews to gather the research data and we used thematic analysis to analyze to gathered data. The results show that for a number of reasons, Facebook played a role in changing people’s minds from not attending the election to taking part in it. The election was the first after the disputed presidential election in 2009 and some people considered voting a taboo. Lack of dialogue and political discussion in Iran’s political and media environment outside Facebook, improved the website’s role. Another reason was the fact that Facebook provided an alternative to the state media. We argue that analyzing the effects of specific social media is only possible if one looks into the country’s political environment and the role of the social media websites in the society. The results show that political arguments may result in increasing people’s level of political information or motivation, but don’t necessarily change their voting behavior. https://nms.atu.ac.ir/article_7003_c940b7ad6fd4c5265fdfcec58278406a.pdf