Google study: Swing voters trust online information

Most swing voters trust the information they find online, according to a study commissioned by Google.

The study, released Wednesday, found that 62 percent of voters who live in battleground states and who have not made up their minds trust the information they find online. The figure is comparable to the portion who trust information from network news (67 percent) and print newspapers (62 percent).

The respondents said it is easier to tell what is true on the Internet than on TV or other sources.

The study found that many swing voters use the Internet to fact check the claims made by candidates. Sixty-four percent said they have used the Internet to fact check a candidate, including 34 percent who said they do so weekly. Researchers found that 58 percent of persuadable voters go online to find out more about a candidate's positions and voting record.

About half of the respondents said they rely on the Internet to get news about this year's campaign. Voters said they like the Internet because it allows them to get the information they want, when they want it. The study found that 53 percent of persuadable voters believe the Internet provides the information they want and 73 percent said it is convenient. 

The study, conducted by Global Strategy Group and Public Opinion Strategies, surveyed 500 persuadable voters in Florida, Ohio, Nevada, Virginia and Wisconsin from Oct. 2-7.

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