They say it gives them access to young voters and delivers their message unfiltered.

David Brown, Julie Emmins, Dean Freeman and Green candidates Dennis Black and Kieran Bennett are using the social networking website Facebook where the measure of popularity is a head count of internet pals.

Yesterday Mr Brown led the race on Facebook with 206 friends, well ahead of Julie Emmins with 85, while Kieran Bennett and Dean Freeman have 81 each.

The CFA firefighter has even established a Vote 1 campaign group on the website.

Mr Brown, 33, says he didn’t use Facebook in 2005 but has embraced it for this election.

“It accesses a demographic that doesn’t rely on mainstream media,” he said.

“And the message is not censored by editors or producers.

“It has also been a vehicle to float ideas.

“I have put a picture of the type of playground that I think Wodonga needs and the comments that I have received about that idea have been incredibly positive.”

Mr Bennett, 22, published a draft of his candidate statement on Facebook to get feedback.

“I have grown up with Facebook and seen it triple the voter turnout at a uni campus vote,” he said.

“For many in my age group this is our native platform, it is how we communicate.

“But I see myself as a Facebook user who is running for council, not a politician using Facebook and that is a big difference, you only had to see the cynicism attached to Kevin Rudd and John Howard using the site during the federal election.”

Mother of two Julie Emmins is also long-time devotee to the social networking site.

“A lot of my friends, and as I have now discovered many Wodonga ratepayers, are also Facebook users,” she said.

Dean Freeman says it is how he keeps in contact with friends across Australia.

“They have now just tagged on to the fact that I’m also running for council,” he said.