The parliamentary elections of Lebanon that took place on June 7, 2009 took over the local and international media airwaves (for a short time) with extensive talk about candidates and what their success / failure means to Lebanon and the region.
The following report focuses more on the impressions and concerns of people (not candidates) in the build-up for the #lebanonelections, on election day, and right after – specifically how they expressed it via Twitter.
Figure 1 - Trend of #lebanon in Twitter June5 - June 9, 2009
June 6, 2009 (Saturday): one day before the elections:
Anxiety levels were high, a lot of people want to fast-forward to the night after the elections (Monday evening). There were lots of hopes that they will pass without any problems, and questions on where to find news coverage on day of election (traditional news media + citizen journalism). Exchange of Internet addresses where the news will be covered during Election Day. Pointing out of phone numbers of police hotline just in case. Some skepticism about the whole point of election in an environment such as that of Lebanon.
June 7, 2009 (Sunday): election day:
The number of tweets for election day took a major jump in number. There were prayers and heartfelt wishes that everything goes through smoothly during election day with no problems. There were general non-political questions such as if fast food places are delivering food (refer to Food – Highlights below). For the first few hours of election day, there was lack of agreement and a bit of confusion on the hashtag to use all across tweets despite the fact that it was being discussed during the last couple of days. Proposed hashtags: #lebanonelections, #lebaneseelections, #lebanon, #elections09. Final agreements was on #lebanonelections. The hashtag #sharek961 of www.sharek961.org was added the day of the elections for tweets and retweets that had content more related to an incident or personal experience. Despite it being a busy day, a lot of people made sure that they have family lunch together. The day continued with expressions of how they felt when they voted, suggestion on how to clean out the purple ink on their thumbs, (refer to Purple Ink – Highlights below) …You also bump into a lot of people who were in Lebanon for the elections (@nightS: The lebanese elections are like the local facebook…you get to meet people you haven’t seen in ages 
)
)During the last hour of the elections and just before the closing of the polls at 7 PM, there was an increased feeling of excitement and anxiety. Moreover, people were counting down systematically (refer to Countdown – Highlights below).
After polls were closed at 7 PM, there was an overall exhale and waiting for the preliminary results that start to show up in a couple of hours. When preliminary results start to be released, the anxiety levels gradually builds up again. Once the results were out, there was some gloating, some silence, and some exhales that the election hurdle was finally over (with no particular interest in who won).
June 8, 2009 (Monday): day after the elections:
In the early morning of the day after the elections, there was overall relief that the elections passed by without major conflicts that were being predicted. (@meetsamer: Good morning guys, big day for Lebanon, eh? The whole thing wasn’t so bad, we kinda behaved, ma hek?) There was also retweeting of relatively “old” news that could be attributed to people who were abroad in a different timezone or the local Lebanese who went to sleep before the final results were out. There were also some complaints by those who had to work that day. Mostly people were tired and relieved after the long election day and were enjoying the day off to recharge (beach, family,…). Lots of others were flying back out of the country. There was also a bit of sobering up from the election’s tantalizing effect and getting back to normal life in Beirut now that Beirut Summer 2009 officially started (@c0decafe: discussing #lebanonelections is a such time sink. *work* *focus* + @hibz: After weeks of election overdose it is time 4 clubbing : )
Selected Tweets From Lebanon Elections 2009:
- Anxiety / Wishes / Hope – Highlights:
- @nightS: I really want time to skip Monday just this time!! #lebanonelections (June 6)
- @habibh: Feels like a night before the “Brevet” exam … (June 6)
- @azzi: Fast Forward to Monday Evening #lebanonelections #lebanon #elections (June 6)
- @ramadanovic: Ya rab! Make this day pass smoothly and peacefully. (June 7)
- @majeedb: A Lebanese friend told me: If 3 Lebanese met, they’d form 4 parties! I hope Lebanon will win & remain strong above all parties & divisions. (June 7)
- @ramadanovic: @sharek961 Can you link me with the “what went well” category. I like to think that I’m a positive man. I like positive stuff. :p (June 7)
- @ahmedhabib: From Beirut: Our dreams are too big for your ballot boxes. (June 7)
- @taniakazi: Tick Tock, Tick Tock…lets see who gets voted in Lebanon. (June 7)
- @dreand: wishes he could be in Lebanon for their elections… (June 7)
- @ConnectToBeirut: Never seen Beirut as quiet as it is this morning. Slightly eerie (June 7)
- @nightS: It’s going to be a very long night… #lebanonelections (June 7)
- Beach – Highlights:
- @azzi: @rosemaryCNN I am doing great spending at the beach in my village in Lebanon and staying overnight to be able to vote early tomorrow!! (June 6)
- @sugarpoppy: Am still at d beach @ La Voile Rmeyleh my native village..there’s not 1 cat around..people r either scared or all went to vote..am enjoying (June 7)
- @sugarpoppy: Am by the beach still & can here fireworks, gun shots, horns when nothing official released yet..irritating to the max! (June 7)
- @eliekhoury: Going to release my stress on the beach! have a nice day everyone… (June
- @krikor: i am not working today, heading to the pool side in 1 hour (June
- Lebanon Centric – Highlights:
- @nightS: The lebanese elections are like the local facebook…you get to meet people you haven’t seen in ages (June 7)
- @nightS: @antissa fireworks bass?!?!
come on it’s Lebanon #lebanonelections (June 7) - @azzi: Ok when will we have the press conference where they will say WALA DARBETT KAFF (NO CHEEK SLAP!!) #lebanonelections (June 7)
- @justimage: is explaining to foreign jornos that one guy shooting a gun in the air in ain al-romaneh does not count as “clashes” #lebanonelections (June 7)
- @ramadanovic: @justimage Lazeezeen hal journalists walla. Mab yeshko men shee. :p (June 7)
- @plus961: no electricity cut in Beirut since last night, at least in my area! (June 7)
- @andrea_im: Why did the bell hop at our hotel say that tomorrow will either be a quiet day in Beirut or there may be war? Umm, what???!!@calperrycnn: @azzi: ONLY in Beirut: where the day is planned out by packs of youths: ‘vote early, conserve sunlight for quality tanning time’ I love it. (June 7)
- @arkhemidus: beirut tonight: eerily quiet…then FIRECRACKERS!…car alarms sounding dogs barking babies crying…then quiet again #lebanonelections (June 7)
- @mony_: enjoying the lebanese folklore of tabbel car cortege fireworks and heavy honking (June 7)
- @habibh: Happy that election day went smooth; Hats off Ziad Baroud, Now can we do smthing abt late night honking & fireworks #LebanonElections (June 7)
- octavianasrCNN: I guess u’re right
RT @lammoush: Oh it wouldn’t be beirut without both! RT @octavianasrCNN: Me too I also dislike fireworks!! RT @cal … - @kk1820: Why isn’t there dancing and music in the streets around our elections? (see Lebanon) (June
- @habibh: On my way to Dubai, flight fully booked, ppl talking about elections, Conspiracy theories all around, How I love Beirut! #OnlyInLebanon (June
- Twitter Trending Topics Attempt – Highlights:
- @khouryrt: Ok, people, can we please bring the hashtag #lebanonelections into Twitter Trends?! (June 7)
- @SamerKaram: RT @ramadanovic: wants the Lebanese elections to be on the Trending Topics list. #lebanonelections. (June 7)
- @khouryrt: One more conclusion from today, it’s safe to say that no matter how hard we tried, #lebanonelections didn’t make it to Twitter trends
(June 7)
- Purple Ink – Highlights:
- @nightS: I voted an hour ago..what’s with this stupid ink think..it’s all over my hands :S (June 7)
- @lnlne: @mxml http://twitpic.com/6thmx – lol my mom’s been trying everything to get the ink off to no avail it’ll be funny to go to MCC and … (June 7)
- @SamerKaram: RT @Plus961: I used Clorox to remove the ink off my finger! Quiet efficient
(June 7) - @SanaTawileh: http://twitpic.com/6tqao – How to make a finger look purple! #Lebanonelections (June 7)
- @SanaTawileh: @lnlne All I can tell you, is that it doesn’t go off your finger even if washed. And that if you’re left-handed u put prints everywhere! (June 7)
- @SamerKaram: RT @SanaTawileh: True story: She got “cotton-tige” with her to paint her finger just from inside because of the manucure! #Lebanonelections (June 7)
- @ramadanovic: @meetsamer RT Departing from Beirut Int’l & EVERYONE has a case of purple thumb #lebanonelections #Sharek961 (June 7)
- Countdown – Highlights:
- @nightS: Probably Lebanon is now experiencing the longest 25 minutes left..#lebanonelections (June 7)
- @sygma: 15 minutes left to vote #LebanonElections (June 7)
- @nightS: 9 minutes left..tick tock #lebanonelections (June 7)
- @SamerKaram: RT @antissa: It’s like counting down to New Years. Are we expecting fireworks? #lebanonelections (June 7)
- @Plus961: 10 minutes to go!! hurry hurry last chance to get a purple thumb!!! (June 7)
- @sharek961: 10 minutes to go before polls close. we’ll be here. keep reporting – with massive turnout & long lines, a critical period. #lebanonelections (June 7)
- @Plus961: 5 more minutes! (June 7)
- @SamerKaram: RT @Beirutspring: RT @hibz: the 1 day election process is a first in leb & should b applauded as part of a big reform process (June 7)
- @SamerKaram: RT @Plus961: 5 more minutes! (June 7)
- @Plus961: Marcel Ghanem is on LBC, declared that it is 7:00PM and polling stations are CLOSED. #lebanonelections (June 7)
- @azzi: ok people countdown to results starts now!!!! #lebanonelections you think we’ll see surprises?? (June 7)
- Food – Highlights:
- @sygma: Any idea if fast foods are delivering today? #beirut #lebanonelections (June 7)
- @SanaTawileh: City life & crowd action, high discussions on elections, tainted fingers and no free tables @ Paul Saifi #lebanonelections (June 7)
- @octavianasrCNN: Took the kids out to lunch and now visiting my sister. Looks like pro-west lists on way to a majority in Lebanon’s parliamentary elections. (June 7)
- @habibh: Teta, tabbouleh; Teta, tabbouleh … At my grandma’s … http://yfrog.com/4blhdkj (June 7)
- Just After Polls Closed – Highlights:
- @nightS: #lebanonelections phase-2 started!! (June 7)
- @Plus961: once again, do follow Marcel Ghanem on LBC, his analysis will probably be the best among all other shows (June 7)
- @khouryrt: Wooow, thanks to the #lebanonelections i have jumped over 400 followers and 2000 updates. Thank you Lebanon (June 7)
- @mikewhills: that was a sweaty 12 hour election (June 7)
- @nightS: @Lastoadri Voting polls are closed.phase 2 is the counting ..the results will be announced by midnight or tomorrow morning @lebanonelections (June 7)
- @Monajem: Its funny, how both of them r predicting to win, for sure one of them is a liar if not both!#Lebanonelections#Lebelections (June 7)
- @nightS: @vinceperritano i don’t know maybe after midnight…it’s still early to tell #lebanonelections (June 7)
- @Plus961: Streets are empty, the best time to have a drive around Beirut is now! (June 7)
- @SanaTawileh: @Plus961 Can you feel it. It’s so empty! (June 7)
- @khouryrt: oh COME ON, I need the results like NOW, #lebanonelections (June 7)
- @mikewhills: so how are we #lebanonelections tweeps? i’m refreshed after a sort-of-quick trip to Torinos in Gemm for a White Russian. great day! (June 7)
- @ramadanovic: El sahra 6aweeleh elyoum. (June 7)
- @sugarpoppy: These unofficial results are driving nuts..not looking good..they shld stop & wait for official figures,period! (June 7)
- @azzi: I think filling the airwaves with music video is better than reporting partial and useless results #lebanonelections (June 7)
- @ramadanovic: Wal3aaaane el entekhbet!!! #lebanonelections (June 7)
- @MXML: yalla bikaffeekon.. long day ahead of me tomorrow.. wake me up when someone has definitive results for either #lebanonelections or #eu09 (June 7)
- @sadekhm: I’m not going to watch this anymore :S #WCQ (June 7)
The full report with the full listing of twitter entries related to Lebanon Elections 2009 can be downloaded here (300 KB): lebanonelections2009-analysisviatwitter-june09
This post is tagged lebanononline
It was a very long technical day, and since we don’t know each other, everybody was hash tagging differently but it ended up ok. Am so proud that I was one of the first to tweet the Lebanese elections, and Twitter is really the best tool to follow the elections if we make more people tweets