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Voters use cell phones to stay connected to U.S. 2012 elections: study

TORONTO – “Mobile-politics” may be the theme of the 2012 U.S. Presidential elections, as a large percentage of U.S. registered voters are using their cell phones to get information about the race, says a new study.

The Pew Internet Research Center study published on Tuesday surveyed 1,005 adults who owned cell phones and were registered voters. Both Republicans and Democrats were included in the study.

The study showed that 27 per cent of registered voters stay up-to-date with election news or political issues on their phones, while almost half, or 45 per cent, have used their smartphone to “read other people’s comments on a social networking site about a candidate or the campaign.”

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Other key findings include that among smartphone users, 18 per cent have left a comment on a social networking site about a candidate, 19 per cent have sent text messages related to the campaign and that 35 per cent fact checked information on their phones.

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The report also showed that cell phone apps are not the most popular choice for connecting to the candidates. Only eight per cent of app users have used an app from a candidate, political party, or interest group to get information about the campaign.

 

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