---
"title": "The internet and election night"
"description": "11% of American internet users followed the returns on election night online."
"date": "2005-01-30"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Lee Rainie"
    "job_title": "Former Director, Internet and Technology Research"
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/lee-rainie/"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet/2005/01/30/the-internet-and-election-night/"
"categories":
  - "Election 2004"
  - "Election News"
  - "Election News"
  - "News Platforms & Sources"
  - "Politics & Media"
  - "Politics Online"
"tags":
  - "politics"
---

# The internet and election night

November 2, 2004 was one of those rare times in nation life when a majority of citizens were doing the same thing. Our post-election survey with the Pew Research Center for The People & The Press showed that 57% of all Americans followed election returns that evening (40% said they waited till the next day to get the results).

The vast majority of those who did follow the returns on Election Night turned on their televisions — 96% said they did that. Another 15% also said they listened to the radio. And 11% of internet users, a group that comprises over 6% of all Americans, said they followed some Election Night events online.

Election Night was a communal event in another way: 46% of those who followed the returns that evening said they talked about the results with someone living outside their home.

In many cases they had multiple conversations: 53% of those Election Night conversationalists had a phone chat, 51% had a face-to-face conversation; and 10% were commenting on the results via email or instant messages.

This capped a campaign season where 36% of internet users talked about the candidates and issues in emails at some point during the election.