RSC Partners, Inc.

Following Senator Barack Obama’s YouTube-inspired Presidential announcement this week, the media is noticing that more and more, voters are looking online to fill the information gap.

Based on a survey of 2,562 adults after November’s midterm election, most of the study’s findings confirm the continued growth of political doings on the Internet, with 31 percent of Americans — more than 60 million people — going online to get political news and discuss the races…

Researchers found that 71 percent of respondents who used the Internet for campaign information said convenience was the major reason; 49 percent said they could find information there not available elsewhere; 41 percent said newspapers and television didn’t provide all the information they wanted.

Candidates should start thinking ahead about how to capitalize–by optimizing their website for search terms, reaching out to online information providers such as influential weblogs and becoming established players in the medium themselves.