Nearly 30% of US adults say friends, family were top source of election information
FILE-A person votes during early voting at a polling station in the first round of early voting at a polling place, October 21, 2024, in Deland, Florida. (Photo by MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images)
People take different approaches to obtaining information when deciding on a candidate they may consider voting for in an election.
And while there is not a specific method to follow to stay informed about a candidate or key issue, a new survey finds that some Americans prefer to get their election questions answered by people within their inner circle.
In a survey by the Civic Health and Institutions Project, a 50 States Survey (CHIP50), approximately 29% of Americans said they relied on friends and family for 2024 election information.
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Americans with less formal education rely more on family and friends for election information, while individuals with higher education and income are more likely to favor news media.
Twenty-six percent of respondents said they rely on news media for voting information, while younger Americans (18-24) rely more on personal networks, and the older population (65 years old and older) prefer news media.
When it comes to political parties, Democrats, and Independents (29%) say they favor news media for election information, compared to 34% of Republicans who say they get information from family and friends.
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Three quarters of Americans identify sources other than news media as their primary way to be informed about the 2024 election, while 17% of respondents say they favor national media and 8% rely on local media for election news.
Approximately 25% of people said they are very or extremely satisfied with local political news, with higher satisfaction levels among Black respondents (35%), Democrats (38%), and residents living in urban areas (33%).
Local news for election information was the preferred source for Americans with higher income and formal education as well as older Americans, and people with a lower income and education, the survey noted.
How do states get their election information?
The survey reveals that people living in certain states tend to depend on national news for election information more than others specifically in Connecticut (26%), Massachusetts (26%), and Nevada (25%), while Hawaii (14%), Louisiana (13%), and South Carolina (12%) are the places where residents are more likely to rely on local news.
Separately, Washington, D.C. (48%), New York (42%), North Carolina (33%), Pennsylvania (33%), Michigan (31%), and Illinois (30%) reported their highest satisfaction with local news about politics.
Meanwhile, Montana (50%), Idaho (49%), Wyoming (45%), New Mexico (45%), and New Hampshire (40%) were more dissatisfied with local news media for election information.