The Australian voter on Twitter

As the 2016 Federal Election campaign nears the halfway point and #ausvotes Twitter conversation heats up, Twitter has today launched new research assessing the state of the voting nation.

Key findings include:

• Almost six in ten (56%) Twitter users are currently uncommitted on how they will vote on 2 July
• Nearly two thirds (59%) of users say that reading about news or events on Twitter helps them formulate or reevaluate their views about politics or the election.
• Twitter is largely (76%) seen by users as a good way to discover the points of views of different people, with 70% of users disagreeing that Twitter is mainly for political insiders.

A Twitter Australia spokesperson is available for interview on request to discuss the findings.

Assets:
• For more information, please see a media release below, along with further background at the Twitter Australia blog.
• An infographic is available for download here.
• A Reverb chart tracking the 1.3 million #ausvotes mentions since the election was called can be viewed here.

Do let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Tom

Thomas Hunter | Ogilvy PR Australia | an Ogilvy PR Worldwide Company | P 61 2 8437 5379 | M 61 448 877 222

The Australian voter on Twitter
A closer look at how Aussies are using Twitter to help shape their vote in the 2016 Federal Election

• Almost six in ten (56%) Twitter users are currently uncommitted on how they will vote on 2 July
• Nearly two thirds (59%) of users say that reading about news or events on Twitter helps them formulate or reevaluate their views about politics or the election.
• Twitter is largely (76%) seen by users as a good way to discover the points of views of different people, with 70% of users disagreeing that Twitter is mainly for political insiders.

SYDNEY – 28 May, 2016 – Australians love to talk about politics on Twitter, making #auspol the third most used political hashtags globally, and political events don’t come much bigger than elections. As the 2016 campaign nears the halfway point and #ausvotes Twitter conversation heats up, a majority of Australian Twitter users in Australia say their vote is still up for grabs.

Almost six in ten (56%) Twitter users are currently uncommitted on how they will vote on 2 July, and with Twitter users much more likely to increase their interest in politics in the lead up to the election than non-users, Twitter is the perfect place for candidates and parties to reach these undecided voters.

“Twitter has become the voice of democracy worldwide, and in Australia in particular we have a very engaged community of users who look to the platform for information, news and opinions on all things politics,” says Jonathan Harley, director media partnerships, Twitter Australia.

“#auspol is consistently one of the top trending hashtags globally, and with so many users still undecided on their vote, it is no surprise that party leaders and local candidates are using Twitter in the lead up to the July 2nd election to connect with and make themselves available to the people they need to reach. Twitter is live and conversational and it is exciting to see the way voters and candidates are interacting on the platform to elect the nation’s new government.”

Twitter plays a role in helping users determine their vote
Nearly two thirds (59%) of users say that reading about news or events on Twitter helps them formulate or reevaluate their views about politics or the election. More than a third of users have reconsidered their views on a specific issue after using Twitter, while 22% say they have changed their voting intention in response to something they saw on Twitter.

Not just political junkies
Twitter is largely (76%) seen by users as a good way to discover the points of views of different people, with 70% of users disagreeing that Twitter is mainly for political insiders. Everyday Aussies are coming to Twitter to make politics more interesting and entertaining (59%) and nearly one third (30%) say Twitter makes politics easier to understand.

Twitter aids political discovery
Sixty percent of Twitter users say they are likely to read a political story or click a link in their Twitter timeline, with 26% saying they find out about politics specifically from Twitter. Some 38% say they have heard about political news elsewhere then come to Twitter to search for more information. Six in ten users say Twitter has an important role to play in the democratic process, with three quarters of users identifying Twitter as a good way to discover the points of view of different parties and candidates.
Influence beyond Twitter
Twitter starts conversations: 65% of Australian users have shown their friends something from Twitter in the past week. The research also shows that a third of those with 100 or more followers on Twitter follow politicians, while half of those with over 100 followers search for trending political topics, which suggests that influential Australians like journalists and bloggers are using Twitter to source information for stories that live beyond Twitter.

With #ausvotes off to a roaring start, and #auspol one of the most used political hashtags globally, the 2016 federal election is sure to play out live on Twitter.

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About Twitter

Twitter is an iconic service and global platform for self-expression and live conversation. Twitter has always been the best place to see what’s happening now. Whether it’s breaking news, entertainment, sports, or everyday topics, only Twitter lets you connect with people anywhere in the world with live conversation. Anything that happens, you see it first on Twitter. By developing a fundamentally new way for people to consume, create, distribute and discover content, Twitter enables any voice to echo around the world instantly and unfiltered. Twitter is available in more than 40 languages around the world. The service can be accessed at Twitter.com, on a variety of mobile devices and via SMS. For more information, visit about.twitter.com or follow @twitter.
Nathan Burman, Thomas Hunter