Xbox Live political hub to launch August 27

Election 2012 on Xbox Live will bring live coverage, information and other content related to the US Presidential Election right to your console.

The initiative is part of a partnership with Rock The Vote, NBC, YouGov and Face the Facts USA, all of which will provide services and content through the hub, including polls and even the chance to register to vote.

Everybody involved with the hub seems extremely pleased and gave a lot of long-winded statements in a press release, but the most interesting note probably comes from Rock the Vote marketing and communications VP Chrissy Faesen.

"There's a growing audience of individuals getting their election information solely from online platforms," she said.

Microsoft is well aware of that audience; it commissioned a survey of 1,678 US Xbox Live households and found 40% are swing voters.

"A large, engaged but uncommitted audience, Xbox Swing Voters are a technically savvy and passionate voting bloc," YouGov's Douglas Rivers said of this potentially politically important group.

Apparently, Xbox swing voters list unemployment and jobs (39%), healthcare (29%) and taxes (22%) as their primary issues of interest; they follow politics weekly, with some checking in every day.

Election 2012 on Xbox Live launches on August 27.