A detailed analysis of commentary online in the final days of the campaign made clear both proposals were doomed to fail
Referendums Analysis: The growing confusion and support for a double No vote was clear on social media
However, as with any set of data, it is possible to find signals in the noise. And for anyone tracking or analysing public social media conversations in the final weeks and days leading into the Care and Family Referenda on March 8, it would have been clear that a No No vote was not just a possibility, but a probability.
There was misinformation and disinformation; topics and issues unrelated to the referendums were mixed in amongst genuine reasons for concern; popular far right hashtags were some of the most used words. But when you strip back this noise, and look to networks like Reddit and Boards.
Only in the final week before voting however, on Friday March 1, did the conversation on social media dramatically increase, with over 10,000 comments a day at the start of the week which continued to grow and, peak on the eve of the referendums when over 40,000 public comments were shared. This sudden increase in conversation in the final week suggests many had not truly engaged with the referendums until this time, with confusion and anger very evident in the final days.
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