● Friends and family (29%) and news media (26%) are the top sources Americans use for voting information, with younger people (18-24) leaning more on personal networks, and the older population (65+) favoring news media.
● Americans with less formal education tend to rely more on friends and family for election information, while those with higher education and income are more likely to prefer the news media.
● Democrats and Independents are more likely to rely on news media (29%), whereas Republicans more often get information from friends and family (34%).
● Local media serve as the main election information source for 8% of Americans, while national media are preferred by 17%. Three quarters of Americans identify sources other than the news media as their main way of staying informed about the 2024 election.
● Older Americans, as well as those with lower income and education, are most likely to rely primarily on local news for 2024 election information.
● Across US states, the reliance on national news for election information is highest in Connecticut (26%), Massachusetts (26%), and Nevada (25%), while the states where people are most likely to rely on local news are Hawaii (14%), Louisiana (13%), and South Carolina (12%).
● Only 25% of Americans report being very or extremely satisfied with local political news, with satisfaction levels relatively higher among Black respondents (35%), Democrats (38%), and people living in urban areas (33%).
● Americans with higher income and formal education levels are more likely to report being satisfied with local political news.
● DC (48%), New York (42%), North Carolina (33%), Pennsylvania (33%), Michigan (31%), and Illinois (30%) reported highest satisfaction with local news about politics (percent respondents saying they were “very” or “extremely” satisfied).
● Conversely, Montana (50%), Idaho (49%), Wyoming (45%), New Mexico (45%), and New Hampshire (40%) were most dissatisfied with local news (percent respondents saying they were “not too satisfied” or “not at all satisfied”).
