US web surfers are more politically active and have much higher levels of voter registration than the rest of the population, according to research.

Nielsen//NetRatings' @Plan Political View report suggested that the internet will have a more influential part to play in the upcoming presidential elections.

Greg Bloom, senior internet analyst at Nielsen//NetRatings, said in a statement: "The web will play a greater role in this year's presidential elections as more campaigns include online advertisements and as surfers take to the internet to research issues and candidates."

The study revealed that 86 per cent of the US online audience over the age of 18 are registered voters.

According to the US Census Bureau, only 70 per cent of the population was registered to vote during the last presidential elections.

"Internet penetration has increased to 75 per cent of the US population. Websites enable citizens to get involved whether it's signing an online petition or accessing candidate websites," said Bloom.