2012-11-05-皮尤-Social_Media_and_Voting_6页_695kb

Social Media and Voting: Summary

This report from the Pew Research Center, dated November 6, 2012, examines the role of social media in the U.S. presidential election, focusing on vote announcements and voter encouragement. Key findings are based on a survey of 861 registered voters, with data compiled from various communication channels.

Main Statistics

• Announcing Votes: 22% of registered voters announced their presidential preference on social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter. No statistically significant difference exists in this group between supporters of Barack Obama (25%) and Mitt Romney (20%).
• Encouraging Voting via Social Media: 20% of registered voters used social media to encourage others to vote, while 30% received encouragement through social media posts from family and friends.

Demographic Insights

• Age Differences: Younger voters (18-29) are more active on social media for voting-related activities. For instance, 50% of this age group announced their votes, compared to lower rates in older age groups. Females are more likely than males to engage through social media postings.
• Partisan Neutrality: There is no overall partisan bias in social media messages; equal percentages received or sent encouragement for both candidates across various channels.

Overall Participation

• Social media was a significant channel for voter engagement; combined with other methods, 74% of registered voters engaged in social media-related voting activities, such as sending/receiving messages or posting votes.

Methodology

The survey was conducted from November 1-4, 2012, using landline and cell phone interviews, with a margin of error of ±3.6 percentage points for the weighted data. Data sources include specific survey questions on voting behaviors and communication methods.