While television remains the primary source for voters to get information on the presidential candidates positions, the Internet is the second most used source with 17.8 percent of voters saying they get their information about election issues online according to a survey from Burst Media.
One-fifth (21.5%) of men say the Internet is their main source on the positions that the presidential candidates have on major election issues. Among men 25-34 years old, 28.6 percent cite the Internet as their primary source of election information.
Two out of five (38.5%) definite voters have visited a presidential candidate’s Web site. Men (44.1%) are slightly more likely than women (38.2%) to have visited a candidate’s Web site.
Reading information about a candidate’s position on major campaign issues is the most popular activity (54.1%) when visiting their Web sites. Other activities include watching a video clip (41.4%), signing up for email alerts (29.2%), sending email (22.1%), leaving a comment (20.2%), making an online donation (18%), and signing up to volunteer (11.9%).
Overall, close to one-third (30.2%) of voters have visited Barack Obama’s Web site, and one quarter have visited John McCain’s Web site. Almost the same number of men have visited both candidates Web sites, 31 percent have visited Obama’s site, and 30 percent have visited McCain’s site.
Few voters who have visited both candidates Web sites say they were “very effective” at offering policy information they were searching for. Among visitors to John McCain’s Web site 19.4 percent say the site was “very effective” at providing information they were looking for, and another 29.1 percent said it was “somewhat effective.”
Among visitors to Obama’s Web site, 40 percent said the site was “very effective” at providing them with information they were searching for, and 28.3 percent said it was “somewhat effective.”
More than half (54.2%) of voters remember online advertising for a presidential candidate and 23.6 percent said they clicked on an ad for a candidate. Voters 55 years and older are most likely to say they have clicked on a presidential candidates ad (27.1%).
“Political advocacy and information provided via the Internet serve as a great touch point for voters of all demographic groups,” said Chuck Moran, VP of Marketing for Burst Media. “The targeting capabilities of online resources can also serve to granularly present information to niche constituents. Candidates that present interactive, content rich information in a variety of formats will be able to reach the broadest array of voters
