Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

Spring 5-6-2026

Faculty Advisor(s)

Lewis Luartz

Abstract

How does social media use affect vote choice during the 2020 election in the United States? Research shows that social media can shape political attitudes and behaviors by increasing exposure to political information and like-minded communities. However, much of the recent literature focuses on specific platforms or broader political participation, leaving open the question of how much social media use influences party vote choice. I argue that individuals who use social media platforms such as Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram are more likely to support Democratic candidates than individuals who do not use these platforms. To test this argument, I used Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) Regression to analyze data from the ANES 2020-2022 Social Media Study. I examine the relationship between social media use, news consumption, and party vote choice in the 2020 election. Preliminary findings suggest that social media use has a limited but statistically significant relationship with vote choice. Given the increasing relevance of social media in daily life, this study provided insight into the effects social media platforms may have come election time.

Comments

Presented at the Spring 2026 Student Scholar Symposium at Chapman University.

Download

Share

COinS