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A new Pew Internet report found that in the run-up to the 2010 midterm elections, 22 percent of online adults were “political social media users.” They used social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to get involved in a campaign, share political news and information, or encourage their friends to commit to vote.

And unlike in 2008, Democrats do not have an advantage:

Overall, Democratic and Republican voters are equally likely to use social networking sites (among internet users, 58% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans do so). This is a notable change from the 2008 campaign, in which Obama voters were significantly more likely than McCain voters to use these sites, and reflects recent overall trends in social networking site adoption by older adults (who tend to lean Republican in their voting habits). Similarly, both supporters and detractors of the “Tea Party” movement each use these sites at roughly similar rates (54% of internet users who agree with the Tea Party movement and 60% of those who disagree with the group use these sites, a difference that is not statistically significant).

Aaron Smith, a senior research specialist at Pew, said in a statement:

The social networking population as a whole has grown larger and demographically more diverse in recent years, and the same is true when it comes to political activity on social networking sites. These platforms are now utilized by politically active individuals of all ages and ideologies to get news, connect with others, and offer their thoughts on the issues that are important to them.

Read more: 22% of online Americans used social networking or Twitter for politics in 2010 campaign

Power of the Sister Vote

I spent part of Election Day at the Power of the Sister Vote Command Center, organized by the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation Black Women’s Roundtable.

The Command Center was co-hosted by Clayola Brown, Melanie Campbell, Dr. Elsie Scott and Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner. Between Twitter updates, Facebook posts and media conference calls, the center was a beehive of activity.

The sisters were determined to tell our story in real time with field reports from black women who were leading nonpartisan GOTV efforts and monitoring the polls.

And the story is, black voters turned out. Exit polls show African American voters represented 10 percent of the electorate, virtually unchanged from 2006. If the past is prologue, black women represented a disproportionate share of the black electorate.

Indeed, it bears remembering that among all racial, ethnic and gender groups, black women had the highest voter turnout rate in 2008.

To be sure, Democrats were hoping for a presidential year surge in black voters but they have to ask themselves: What did they do to make it happen? Where were the resources to mobilize black voters? A last-minute black media spend is not a GOTV plan.

With the defunding of black voter empowerment groups dating back to 2004 2000, the sisters made a way out of no way. As Rev. Dr. Iyanla Vanzant observed during the “Black Girls Rock: Celebrating the Brilliance of Black Women” awards show:

Black girls rock because we have no other choice.

An intergenerational group of black women will rock the house that Dr. Dorothy I. Height built when they gather for the Power of the Sister Vote post-election briefing. They will discuss black voter turnout, how women candidates fared in congressional, gubernatorial and state legislative races. They will share their views and outlook on what impact the new political landscape will have on issues of importance to women and families.

The panelists are:

• Barbara Arnwine, Esq., Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
• Melanie L. Campbell, President & CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Convener, Black Women’s Roundtable
• Chanelle Hardy, Esq., Senior Vice President & Executive Director, National Urban League Policy Institute
• Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever, Executive Director, National Council of Negro Women
• Carol Joyner, Consultant, Labor Project for Working Families
• Illai Kenney, Black Youth Vote! Coordinator, Howard University
• Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chairwoman, Congressional Black Caucus
• Laura Murphy, Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office
• Dr. Elsie Scott, President & CEO, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
• Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, Co-Facilitator, National African American Clergy Network

I have the distinct honor of moderating the discussion.

The briefing will be held on Wednesday, November 17, from 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m., at the National Council of Negro Women Headquarters, 633 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC.

To register, please RSVP to Monifa Bandele or Stacie Royster no later than November 16.

Minorities and Young Voters Blamed for Dem Losses

The mainstream media and pundits are pinning the blame for Democrats’ historic losses in the midterm elections on young voters and minorities.

While journalists and talking-heads are entitled to their own opinions, they are not entitled to their own facts. Fact is, comparing 2010 to 2008 is like comparing apples and oranges. Turnout is always higher for a presidential election than for midterm elections.

In a midterm election, turnout is lower for all groups. This salient point was noted parenthetically by the Washington Post’s Dan Balz:

The percentage of the electorate is used as a measure because turnout is always smaller in congressional elections than in presidential elections, for all groups.

Exit polls show that turnout among young voters, African Americans and Latinos was virtually unchanged from the last midterm election.

The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement reports that youth turnout was 20.4 percent, compared to 23 percent in 2006.

The Pew Hispanic Center reports that Latinos represented 8 percent of all voters, again, unchanged from 2006.

African American voters represented 10 percent of the electorate, virtually unchanged from 2006. Blacks gave 90 percent of their votes to Democrats.

The Census Bureau reported that more than 96 million people, including 9,937,000 million African Americans, voted in the 2006 midterm election. The black share of the electorate was roughly 10 percent.

The blame for Democrats’ “shellacking” rightly falls on Democrats who didn’t listen to the American people. They forgot that they work for us and their contracts can be terminated at will every two or six years.

If Democrats want to pin their losses on someone other than themselves, then blame white women, seniors and independents. According to CNN exit polls, Democratic candidates received only 37 percent of the white vote.

Seniors and independents kicked Democrats to the curb. The Associated Press reported:

Exit polls of voters in the congressional elections show the damage Democrats must repair - 56 percent of independents and 59 percent of seniors voted for Republican House candidates, with each delivering decisive margins of roughly 20 percentage points for the GOP.

The bottom line: The demographic makeup of the electorate was unchanged from 2006, the last midterm election.

Facts are stubborn things.

Election Day 2010

I am leaving in a bit for DC, where I will report from the National Command Center of the Election Protection Coalition. I will post updates to Facebook and Twitter.

Before you go vote, know your rights, and the location of your polling place and polling hours. If you encounter a problem, ask a poll worker for help.

If you see any irregularities or need assistance, call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683).

The FBI has set up a toll-free number — 1-800-253-3931 — for complaints about ballot access.

To help tell our story, please share your voting experience via email or send a tweet to #866OURVOTE.

Remember, be careful how you vote.