Political Crowdfunding and Campaigning on GoFundMe

摘要

Background: What does the Canadian use of GoFundMe tell us about the role of nonpartycampaigners in contemporary election campaigning?Analysis: Within the context of the 2019 Canadian federal election, this article examineshow GoFundMe has been used as a platform for fundraising by fringe and populist politicalvoices online.Conclusion and implications: The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has been leveragedto meet political goals both within and outside of traditional, party-centred, politicalfundraising setups. The mobilization of GoFundMe’s crowdfunding tools in the 2019 federalelection presented an opportune space for the financialization of political goals reflectingright-wing populist ideas.