Voter Preference Revealed in Smartphone Demographics

If you use an iPhone or an Android smartphone, you’re more likely to vote for Obama than for Romney, a survey found.

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.)

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“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%).

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