E-Democracy comprises the application of information and communication technologies to support the democratic decision-making processes and to allow more effective and transparent engagement between government, business, NGOs, and citizens. These technologies have created an opportunity for policy makers, managers, politicians and citizens to invigorate the democratic processes at a time in which public trust in government and voting levels are at historic lows. Nevertheless, electronic democracy has also been criticized as not living up to expectations or that social and economic inequities have resulted in a digital divide. Possible topics of interest might include electronic campaigning, electronic voting, citizen mobilization, political communication, digital divide, transparency and accountability, stakeholder coordination and influence, electronic participation and consultation, or community networking.

• To what extent do ICTs facilitate public interaction and encourage participation among citizens, government representatives, and stakeholders?
• How do we develop and deploy technology to support the electoral process such that it provides secure and trustworthy voting environments?
• How can ICTs engage more young people in the political process?
• How can ICTs improve transparency and effectiveness of political campaigns?
• What are the emerging practices in electronic campaigning and do they work?
• How are communities and neighborhoods using ICTs to network and mobilize socially and politically?
• How do governments integrate electronic input from citizens and stakeholders into decision making?
• How does the application of ICTs for governance affect trust, accountability, and responsiveness?
• What political and organizational factors determine the willingness of government entities to become more transparent and interactive?

The mini-track welcomes theoretical or theoretically informed applied research that examines any level of government – federal, state, local, or community – using either qualitative or quantitative methods. International and comparative contributions are also welcome.