IT professionals say the economy, war, immigration and national security are the nation's most important issues, according to CompTIA survey
The Computing Technology Industry Association and Rasmussen Reports surveyed 600 IT workers about their views on the 2008 elections. The results show the mostly conservative group could help Senators Barack Obama or John McCain win.
IT professionals unhappy about the state of the union would be wise to vote in the 2008 presidential election, according to research released Tuesday by CompTIA, because this 12 million-strong group of educated workers could influence the outcome.
By sheer number alone, IT professionals could sway this year’s presidential election, according to a recent survey of 600 IT workers conducted by the Computer Technology Industry Association and Rasmussen Reports. The IT industry is comprised of 12 million professionals, CompTIA says, outnumbering workers in the mining, farming and construction industries combined.
“The findings point to a potent political force, which the campaigns have to reckon with,” said Roger Cochetti, group director of U.S. Public Policy for CompTIA, in a CompTIA report.
The survey, which took place before the early March primaries, revealed that the group of IT professionals eligible to vote is larger than previously estimated and more politically active than believed to be in the past.
“IT workers matter because they are bright, well paid and most importantly can swing the vote,” Cochetti stated. “It’s bigger than almost all earlier estimates, and far more politically active than most pundits had thought.”
This group of voters tends to be young, educated, independent, politically motivated — and lean conservative. For instance, more than one-third of those polled identified with the Republican political party, while 39% said they considered themselves conservative. About one-quarter said they were affiliated with the Democrat party and 24% called themselves liberal. About 40% checked “other” when questioned on political parties and 36% referred to themselves as moderate. The results also show that close to one-third of those surveyed have contributed to a presidential campaign online.
As for candidates, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama would win the majority of votes among IT workers polled, with each garnering 29%. Sen. Hillary Clinton was cited by 13%, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won over 11%, while Congressman Ron Paul earned a nod from 9% of those polled.
Among the criteria IT pros say is important for a candidate, specific policies resonated the most with 27% of those polled. One-quarter said a candidate’s vision could lead them to support them, and 16% relied on previous experience to determine who to support. Just 1% indicated that candidates must be concerned about the tech sector to win their vote.
In terms of national priorities, close to 40% of IT workers polled said the economy is the most important issue facing the next U.S. president, while 18% find the war in Iraq a major concern. Fifteen percent noted immigration as a pressing issue for the nation’s next leader, and 14% said national security topped the list. Issues such as government ethics and corruption (6%), healthcare (4%) and social security (1%) are also on IT pros’ minds for the next election.
CompTIA says education and income gives IT pros an edge when it comes to candidates looking to win their votes. The survey shows that more than 70% of high-tech voters earn between $60,000 and more than $100,000 annually, and about three-quarters are aged between 18 and 49, with about 24% aged between 50 and 64. The IT voters surveyed are mostly male (77%) and white (74%). Close to 100% graduated high school, with 25% attending college, 46% graduating college and 26% completing graduate degrees.
“We’ve seen all the presidential hopefuls stop in Silicon Valley, stumping for votes. It’s clearly a large and well-off group of independent-minded voters, whose loyalty is up for grabs,” Cochetti added.
