Washington, D.C. (November 12, 2012) – The 2012 presidential election was the first “app election,” according to research released today by the Application Developers Alliance. The pre-election survey, conducted by Frank N. Magid Associates, found that 85% of registered voters who are app users relied on an app to follow the campaigns and election. Moreover, a quarter of election app users indicated that the information they learned through apps helped them explore issues and decide on the best candidate.
“This research confirms that apps are providing news and information to a growing number of people and affecting decision-making,” said Mike Vorhaus, President of Magid Advisors.
“In 2012, for the first time, a large number of voters turned to apps for presidential election information. Apps have become one of the first places consumers check for up-to-the-minute news and information, and app developers are answering the call, creating innovative solutions,” said Jon Potter, president of the Application Developers Alliance.
Of those using election-related apps, 69% used a news app, 40% used a campaign or election-specific app, and 41% used a party or candidate-specific app. Consumers turned to apps for information about where the candidates stand, fact checking articles on candidate statements, the latest news coverage of the campaigns, poll results, and debate coverage. Rich content, including maps and videos, were important to the app users.
The survey suggested that there is plenty of room for growth in the political app market. Only 14% of app users followed House races with an app, and 19% followed Senate races. Six in ten election app users said they expect to continue to use apps to follow political news in the months ahead.
About Application Developers Alliance
The Application Developers Alliance is an industry association dedicated to meeting the unique needs of application developers as creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Alliance members include more than 15,000 individual application developers and dozens of companies, investors, and stakeholders in the apps ecosystem.
