Channel 2 and YouTube launch online elections platform

By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN
Channel 2 and YouTube launched the first Israeli online elections platform this week that allows the public to upload questions for the candidates. It is located at www.YouTube.co.il/Elections09. YouTube users will be able to vote for the most interesting question and the best questions will then be broadcast on Channel 2 and answered by the candidates. The people who asked the questions will be invited to the studio to take part in interviewing the candidates. "YouTube enables voters and candidates to communicate in a way that simply was not possible during the last election," said Riki Drori, country marketing manager of Google Israel. "For the first time in the history of Israeli elections, voters from around the country will be able to ask the future prime minister a question in video form and hear the answer."