Voter Preference Revealed in Smartphone Demographics

A nationwide poll in showed a nearly 20% difference in political alignment among voters who own either an Android or iPhone smartphone, according to Velti, a global provider of mobile marketing and advertising technology.

Almost half the iPhone/Android owners (49%) said they would vote for Obama if the election were held today, while only 31% said they would vote for Romney. (Some polls showed Romney pulling slightly ahead in the race when Americans were surveyed in late June, regardless of smartphone preference.)

“The results of this survey demonstrate that the smartphone market is becoming a whole new demographic that candidates must take into consideration when building a comprehensive campaign strategy,” said Krishna Subramanian, chief marketing officer, Velti. “Mobile advertising is emerging as an influential medium and a distinct audience.” 

The study also found a significant education gap between supporters of the candidates. Of iPhone/Android owners with a college degree or higher, 56% plan to vote for Obama, while only 35% plan to support Romney. Among iPhone/Android owners with a household income of $75,000 a year or greater, 49% of respondents said they would vote for Obama, while 39% plan to vote for Romney.

Romney does, however, maintain an advantage among retirees, with 57% of retired iPhone/Android owners supporting him, versus 34% who said they would vote for Obama.

Supporters of each candidate were more evenly split across their choice of smartphone, the survey found. Obama voters constituted 47% of iPhone owners and 50% of Android owners, while anticipated Romney voters were made up of 34% iPhone owners and 29% Android.

Other findings from the survey include:

• Over half (54%) of male smartphone users age 18 to 34 said they would vote for Obama, compared with fewer than a third (32%) of males age 35 to 44.
• Among female smartphone users, 60% of women age 18 to 34 said they would vote for Obama, compared with just 39% of those age 45 and older.
• iPhone/Android owners who are single or never married said they are more likely to vote for Obama than those who are married (59% vs. 43%).