US voters more social, mobile, says study

Washington - The 2014 US midterm elections are decidedly more social and mobile than the last time around, according to a new report.

Voters are using social networks like Facebook and Twitter far more than in the 2010 midterms, and mobile phones are playing a more important role, a report Monday from Pew Research Centre said.

About 28% of registered US voters have used their cellphone to keep up with news relating to the election or political events this year - double the rate of 2010, Pew said.

And 16% said they used social media to follow a candidate or get information on a campaign - up from 6% four years earlier.

The use of new technologies is growing for both Republicans and Democrats, said Pew researcher Aaron Smith.

"Voters from both parties place a similar emphasis on the deeper connections that social media allows them to form with the candidates they support," Smith said in a blog post.

Smith added that "mobile election news consumers" are more active than other Americans in many political activities.

"They are more likely to have encouraged people they know to vote or support a particular candidate," he said.

Those who follow political figures on social media also tend to be more active in political activities, the study found. They were more likely to volunteer for a campaign, attend an event or make a campaign contribution.

The report is based on a national telephone survey of 2 003 adults between 15 and 20 October. The margin of error is estimated at 2.5 percentage points.

Americans are voting on Tuesday for the 435 members of the House of Representatives as well as 36 Senate seats and numerous state and local elections.