20 per cent of UK adults would be more likely to vote in tomorrow’s general election if they could do so via text, or a dedicated app on their phone, while 35 per cent would be more likely to vote if they could do so online.

The figures come from the Orange Digital Election report, commissioned by Orange and carried out by YouGov last month. YouGov surveyed 2,072 nationally representative adults aged 18 and over online. The study also found that almost one in four 18-24 year olds surveyed have commented on the general election through social networks, while 57 per cent  of adults have read or received information about the election online during the course of the campaign. 11 per cent have commented on the election via social networking sites, and 6 per cent via text. As a result, 11% of adults say that they are more aware of how friends or work colleagues will vote.

Anthony Painter, political commentator and associate at political think tank Demos, and author of the Orange Digital Election report, says: “While the TV debates have had a major impact on the election, the internet has also amplified the buzz around it. People aren’t taking what the leaders say at face value – they want more. Nick Clegg has been the big winner, with surges of post-debate interest and Clegg-mania being witnessed in the media and online. With the majority of people either informing themselves or participating in politics online, digital media is playing its own part in the story of the 2010 general election.”

The research is a preview to a wider report by Orange, entitled the Orange Digital Election Report. To be launched on 8 June, the report will look to answer the question, ‘How did the UK do digital politics in the 2010 election and what did that mean for the election?’ and will include commentary and analysis from Painter.

“It’s amazing to think that in the last election in 2005, the likes of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and smartphone apps didn’t exist, or held very little resonance,” says Simon Grossman, head of government policy at Orange UK. “Its clear from this research that the use of technology by the political parties has made politics more accessible and interactive, and ultimately more interesting to a younger audience.”