Will Social Media Be the Key to Minority Voter Turnout in 2012?

Noting that the NAACP — alarmed over the spate of restrictive voter id laws cropping up around the nation — is looking to make wider use of social media platforms in the organization’s 2012 voter turnout work, Kenna McHugh, writing on Social Times, presents some interesting data about the views of White, Blacks and Hispanics around the use of social media for getting information about issues affecting their communities.

In her post, McHugh provides some findings from a recent report by Georgetown University called Social Media Plays Greater Role in Cause Engagement For African Americans and Hispanics:

-58% of African Americans and 51% of Hispanics (vs. 34% of Caucasians) believe they can help disseminate information on social issues through social networking. They also believe that Facebook makes it easier to support causes.

-31% of African Americans and 27% of Hispanics are more likely to rely on social media as another source of information (vs. 21% of Caucasians).

– Hispanics are more likely to believe that everyone likes causes on Facebook.

– Hispanics and Caucasians believe they receive too many emails, but African Americans don’t.

-African Americans and Hispanics are far more likely to believe that supporting causes makes them a part of their communities.

-Hispanics (55%) and African Americans (54%) are more likely to believe it’s important that their families become involved in causes.

The full report is provided below.