To keep up with news about presidential candidates and the primaries, registered voters are using digital media as much as TV, according to a survey by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).

The results showed that digital media, combined, matched TV as the primary information source for presidential candidates (61 percent for digital, 61 percent for TV).  For political issues, the numbers were 67 percent digital and 69 percent TV, according to the survey, Race for the White House 2016: Registered Voters and Media and Information during the Primaries. 

After viewing a candidate’s ad online or on mobile, three-quarters of survey respondents said they proceeded to search for more information about the candidate or started an in-person conversation about the contender.

Thirty-five percent of registered voters preferred to get their news on digital platforms. This group of voters is younger and more likely to take action after seeing an online political ad. 

The survey also showed other demographic trends, including that U.S. Hispanics and African Americans get their political news mostly on mobile. Here are some highlights: 

• 67 percent of Hispanic voters and 60 percent of African-American voters visit political sites on a mobile device compared to 49 percent of voters overall. 
• Hispanic voters are significantly more likely to take an action after viewing a digital or mobile ad for a candidate, with 87 percent saying they have done so. 
• So called “Political Influentials,” registered voters heavily involved in politics and public affairs, are especially dependent on digital media for their political information (78 percent for digital vs. 63 percent for TV).
• 28 percent of registered voters said they get candidate information from social platforms.
• 31 percent of registered voters read political articles and links shared by their friends on social media. 
• 25 percent of registered voters have seen an ad for a candidate on social media.
• 24 percent of registered voters have “defriended” or “unfollowed” someone because of his or her political posts on social media platforms.