The 2012 U.S. Presidential Election is shaping up to be the most digital election in the history of the country, as Mashable has documented.
The infographic below underlines how much social and digital media's influence has grown from the last election in 2008 and how much campaigns are increasingly moving their operations online. In this election cycle, $9 billion will be spent on campaigns across the country. Of those, $159.2 million will be spent online, a 616% increase compared to 2008.
The infographic has also some interesting numbers and facts comparing President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney and their reach on Facebook and Twitter.
Check out the infographic below to find out more about how important social media has become in American politics.
Infographic by iProspect
Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, franckreporter