In a survey of 100,000 Avast users this past weekend, Avast users have shown just how close the upcoming Presidential Election is.
The survey shows a narrow preference for Romney in the popular vote resulting in a large advantage for Romney in the Electoral College Vote. At the same time though, a clear majority believe that Obama will actually win:
Exactly 48.9 per cent of Avast users who are registered voters said they will definitely vote for Romney, compared to 46.1 per cent who will vote for Obama. Interpreted by electoral votes, this is 290 votes for Romney and 230 for Obama.
As to who they think will actually win the election, however, 47.6 per cent think Obama compared to 39.6 per cent in Romney’s favour.
Interpreted electorally, this gives 349 to Obama and only 189 to Romney.
New Mexico and Virginia are dead heats-46.9 per cent for each candidate in New Mexico and 47.6 per cent in Virginia.
The other tightly contested states in the survey are Florida with 49.2 per cent for Romney and 47.5 per cent for Obama; Ohio with 48.8 per cent for Romney and 46.3 per cent for Obama; and New Hampshire with 48.2 per cent for Obama and 45.3 per cent for Romney.
Avast’s Vincent Steckler said in a blog post that this survey has nothing to do with security, and the company does not mix politics with business, and it has not taken any position on the election.
Furthermore, Steckler added Avast is based in the Czech Republic so any position it took would be meaningless. But still, he said the company has a large base of users in the U.S., about 11 million and it thought it could be insightful if their collective opinion could predict the election results as well as the professional polling firms.