• by November 1, 2000

Vice President Al Gore has attracted more pageviews at his site than Governor George Bush has at his site, according to Alexa Research. But if pageviews were equated with votes and could be tabulated the way the electoral college works, Bush would be elected President, with 332 electoral votes - 270 are needed to win the election.

Of course, simply viewing a web page doesn't mean that's the candidate you're voting for. But it is indicative of extensive participation in the electoral process through the Internet.

The World Wide Web has changed the way Americans work, shop and play. Now, 72% of online shoppers would prefer that it change an American tradition as well by allowing them to vote online in the next presidential election, according to a recent survey by BizRate.com (www.bizrate.com).

In a BizRate.com poll of more than 7,200 online shoppers, 87% plan to vote in this year's presidential election - a significantly higher percentage than the actual 49% of total voter turnout in the 1996 presidential election - with the majority preferring to trade in their paper ballot for a keyboard and mouse.

“As the Internet becomes more prevalent in our daily lives, it's not surprising that many savvy online surfers are looking to expand the Web's potential for activities other than e-commerce,” commented Chuck Davis, President and CEO of BizRate.com. “Just as the Web has brought convenience to shopping, it seems that it would offer the same appeal to voting.”

E-commerce does play a role in this year's election, as the BizRate.com survey revealed that a candidate's policy on online sales tax would impact the decision of more than a quarter of online shoppers (26%). In a poll conducted last December, nearly 60% of surveyed shoppers told BizRate.com they would make fewer purchases if they had to pay a sales tax on all Internet purchases.

In a continuing tight race, Vice President Al Gore held a slight lead over Texas Governor George W. Bush with 45% of the online shopper vote compared with 42% for Bush. Exactly half of online women shoppers surveyed expect to vote for Gore, while only 38% plan to vote for Bush. In contrast, 47% of men are likely to vote for Bush, compared with 39% who expect to vote for Gore. Twenty-six percent of online shoppers have visited a presidential candidate's website for election information.

Of those surveyed, 32% are registered Democrats, 31% are registered Republicans, 8% are not registered to vote and 29% are affiliated with other parties or declined to specify a party. More women (36%) than men (27%) are registered as Democrats; likewise, more men (35%) than women (28%) are registered as Republicans.

Nielsen//NetRatings reports that Al Gore's website, which includes AlGore.com and AlGore2000.com, attracted more females than males, while George W. Bush's website, including GeorgeBush.com and GeorgeWBush.com, drew more males than females at home this past week ending October 22. The Gore site engaged a majorit