Online Political Videos and Campaign 2012

55% of registered voters have watched political videos online this election season. We asked about six different types of political videos and found that, among registered voters who use the internet:

• 48% watch video news reports about the election or politics
• 40% watch previously recorded videos of candidate speeches, press conferences, or debates
• 39% watch informational videos online that explain a political issue
• 37% watch humorous or parody videos dealing with political issues
• 36% watch political advertisements online
• 28% watch live videos of candidate speeches, press conferences, or debates
• We also find that political videos are highly social. Some 52% of registered voters say that other people have recommended political videos for them to watch this election season, with social networking sites playing a prominent role in this process. In addition, 19% of registered voters have recommended online political videos for other people to watch.