BizRate.com Survey Finds Majority of Internet Shoppers Would Vote Online in Next Presidential Election; Sales Tax an Important Issue in Election.

News/Business Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 31, 2000

The World Wide Web has changed the way Americans work, shop and play.

Now, according to a recent survey by BizRate.com (www.bizrate.com), 72 percent of online shoppers would prefer that it change an American tradition as well by allowing them to vote online in the next presidential election.

In a BizRate.com poll of more than 7,200 online shoppers, 87 percent plan to vote in this year's presidential election -- a significantly higher percentage than the actual 49 percent of total voter turnout in the 1996 presidential election(a) -- 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 chief executive officer 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 percent). In a poll(b) conducted last December, nearly 60 percent of surveyed shoppers told BizRate.com they would make fewer purchases if they had to pay a sales tax on all Internet purchases.

The Race to the White House

-- In a continuing tight race, Vice President Al Gore held a slight lead over
Texas Governor George W. Bush with 45 percent of the online shopper vote
compared with 42 percent for Bush.

-- Exactly half of online women shoppers surveyed expect to vote for Gore,
while only 38 percent plan to vote for Bush.

-- In contrast, 47 percent of men are likely to vote for Bush, compared with 39
percent who expect to vote for Gore.

-- Twenty-six percent of online shoppers have visited a presidential
candidate's Web site for election information.

Online Shoppers' Party Affiliations

-- Of those surveyed, 32 percent are registered Democrats, 31

percent are registered Republicans, 8 percent are not

registered to vote and 29 percent are affiliated with other

parties or declined to specify a party.

-- More women (36 percent) than men (27 percent) are registered

as Democrats; likewise, more men (35 percent) than women (28

percent) are registered as Republicans.

About BizRate.com

Founded in 1996 and based in Los Angeles, BizRate.com (www.bizrate.com) is the No. 1 retail mall on the Web (according to Media Metrix, August 2000), connecting millions of buyers to thousands of sellers in a single, organized location. Designed as a shopping hub, the site provides the best efficiencies for both online buyers and sellers.

In the BizRate.com C3 Marketplace, shoppers have access to a powerful product search engine, single-click checkout, exclusive deals, "hot" product listings and gift guides to empower consumers to "shop smartly" across 19 popular store categories and thousands of merchants.

Through BizRate.com's rating system, compiled exclusively from point-of-sale and fulfillment surveys of participating merchants, shoppers can compare merchants across 10 service dimensions.

BizRate.com ratings appear on Consumer Reports Online and in Consumer Reports magazine, as well as on Microsoft Network, AltaVista, GO Network, Go2Net, Snap, Citibank, iChoose, Brodia and CNET. The BizRate.com C3 Marketplace is a featured addition to Fleet Bank Services' online site.

To schedule an interview with a BizRate.com research expert, contact Lori Putnam, 310/305-3506, ext. 186, [e-mail]; or Julie Mathis, 323/866-6039, [e-mail].

(a) Federal Election Committee

(b) BizRate.com/Association for Interactive Media Flash Survey