The 2012 Social Election Survey

January 2013

Exploring the Role of Social Media in Influencing Perceptions and Voter Behavior in the 2012 Presidential Election

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Table of Contents

Section Page

About the Study 3

Key Findings 5

Demographics 14

Election Interest and Vote Influencers 19

Learning About and Discussing the Election 24

General Use of Social Media 33

Comparing the Quality and Credibility of Traditional and Social Media 37

Using Social Media to Follow the Election 41

Sharing Political Views on Social Media 49

The Influence of Social Media 58

Watching and Discussing the Debates 70

Grading the Candidates Use of Social Media 79

Tone of the Presidential Election 82

Political Bias in the Media 88

Participation in the 2012 Election 94

Milestone Moments in the Election: Sample Top Social Media Posts from Final Four Months of the Election

99

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About the Study Overview of the 2012 Social Election Survey

This report was produced by ORI and The George Washington

University Graduate School of Political Management. The goal of

this study is to provide a non-partisan view of the role and

influence of social media in the 2012 presidential election.

Specifically, this report sought to:

– Understand how closely the public was watching the

election

– Identify the value placed on various sources of information

about the candidates and issues in the election

– Understand how the public was using social media to learn

about and engage in discussions about the election

– Explore how people shared their political opinions on

social media

– Assess the perceived credibility of social media relative to

other sources of information

– Identify differences in perceptions and behavior based on

age, gender, political leaning and candidate supported

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Male 45%

Female 55%

GENDER

Some high school

High School Diploma

Some college

Associate Degree

Bachelors Degree

Masters Degree

Doctorate

Other

2%

15%

22%

10%

25%

20%

5%

1%

Demographics Gender, Age, Education & Income

18 - 25 years

26 - 35 years

36 - 45 years

46 - 55 years

56 - 65 years

Over 65 years

8%

17%

15%

24%

23%

13%

HIGHEST EDUCATION COMPLETED

SAMPLE SIZE

n=806

Fielding: 10/29/12-11/13/12

AGE

Less than $25,000

$25,000 to $50,000

$50,000 to $75,000

$75,000 to $100,000

$100,000 to $125,000

$125,000 to $150,000

More than $150,000

17%

23%

20%

13%

9%

7%

12%

HOUSEHOLD INCOME

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Top 3 Issues Determining Presidential Vote

The economy was the

single most important

determinant of how

people voted, with

over 52% selecting it

as their top issue.

Health care (83%)

and the deficit (74%)

were also top

concerns.

The economy and jobs

Health care

The federal deficit

Education

National security and defense

Social Issues, incl. abortion and gay marriage

Energy

The environment/climate change

Immigration

Other

52%

29%

15%

22%

9%

16%

4%

9%

7%

9%

26%

32%

30%

19%

23%

21%

15%

10%

9%

5%

16%

22%

29%

26%

31%

21%

23%

15%

18%

9%

Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3

Assume you are going to vote in the November election. Please rank the top three issues determining your vote for president.

Top 3 Total

94%

83%

74%

67%

63%

58%

42%

34%

34%

23%

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Overall

Four in ten used social networks to keep up with political news (43%), debate key issues (39%) and

find others who shared their views (38%).

Respondents were less likely to use social networks to recruit support for political causes.

Overall, how important are social networking sites to you personally when it comes to each of the following?

Use of Social Networks for Political Activities

Keeping up with political news

Debating or discussing political issues with others

Finding other people who share your views about important political issues

Recruiting people to get involved with political issues that matter to you

43%

39%

38%

31%

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Overall

Male

Female

18 - 25 years

26 - 35 years

36 - 45 years

46 - 55 years

56 - 65 years

Over 65 years

3%

5%

2%

7%

6%

5%

1%

2%

2%

8%

11%

8%

13%

17%

15%

6%

3%

5%

18%

18%

17%

24%

26%

22%

12%

13%

16%

Extremely influential Very influential Moderately influential

Influence of Social Media on Shaping Opinions Overall, Gender & Age

Three in ten respondents

(29%) said social media was

moderately to extremely

influential in their perceptions

of the candidates and issues in

the election. However, that

increased to nearly half of 18-

25 year olds (45%) and 26-35

year olds (49%).

Only three percent said social

media was extremely

influential, indicating that the

tools are still a long way from

being a primary influencer of

voter perceptions.

Social Media’s Influence on the Perceptions of Candidates and Issues

AG

E G

END

ER

Total Influential

29%

34%

27%

45%

49%

42%

19%

19%

23%

Compared to other sources, how influential has the information on social media been in shaping your opinion of the candidates and issues in the presidential election?

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Using the Sample Tweet Data How to read the selected retweets

The guide below illustrates how to read

the sample tweet data.

Account from which the tweet

was posted

Number of times the post was

retweeted

Thickness of border corresponds to the size of the audience reached.

Thicker borders indicate higher reach on a Scale of 1-8.

Date and time of post

The check mark beside the account name indicates a Twitter

verified account (Primarily used for certify the authenticity of

the accounts of public figures)

Color of border indicates which candidate the

message favored:

Blue = Obama

Red = Romney

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Mitt Romney, November 2012 Keyword: Romney | Search Frame: Nov. 1 –Nov. 5, 2012

Social media analysis powered by

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Barack Obama, November 2012 Keyword: Obama | Search Frame: Nov. 1 –Nov. 5, 2012

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