With the use of smartphones on the rise, news organizations and the Obama and Romney campaigns have devoted their resources to creating political apps to keep the American people up to date about the presidential election.

Due to the widespread ownership of these devices, the consumption of news is more accessible than ever, and the content you consume varies depending on which app you prefer to use.

The Obama and Romney campaigns have both released their perspective apps, Obama for America and Romney –Ryan, which presents basic facts and information about each candidate’s platform. Both apps offer a section to donate to their campaign, a section to look up upcoming events and a way to share information you deem important. If you want to keep up with both candidates as closely as possible, these two apps are for you.

If you want to bypass both of the candidate’s apps in search of other political apps, that is ok. There is a political app for your liking– from big news organizations and web based news sites, to conservative, independent and liberal leaning news organizations,  we will look at various political apps that may fulfill your political needs.

One of the most powerful forms of news consumption right now is Twitter. Twitter has an official app for every smartphone platform with many alternate Twitter apps in the market.

Twitter is a popular source for news due to its variety of content and fast delivery of political news.

“It (Twitter) keeps me updated by letting me know which policies and laws the candidates are in favor of, “Olivia McLean, a junior journalism major, said.

Twitter is a great source to get political news that has caught fire in present time, but if you are looking for credible sources, Twitter is not the best source, which leads me to the big news organizations political apps.

USA Today, ABC News, The Washington Post, Associated Press and CNN are a part of the big news organizations that have expanded their political coverage to apps. Each one of these have a section entitled “politics” where you can get up- to- date credible information about what’s going on in politics.

If you prefer all things politics, the “Politico” app is the way to go because its news focuses solely on dissecting  politics.

Politico is not the only app that specializes in presenting concentered content.  If you want to keep up with the polling of the presidential election, try the “Gallup News” app, and if you are interested in fact checking, look for the “Settle It!” PolitiFact app.

 If you are affiliated with a political party and want to consume news presented solely from your party’s prospective, then the next few apps may be for you.

“Conservative Talk Radio” and the “Drudge Report” are two popular apps that focus on politics from a conservative viewpoint.

“Talk Radio” offers a variety of shows to listen to from Glenn Beck to Laura Ingraham, and the Drudge Report offers a wide variety of news content from politics to world news.

“Salon” and “Maddow” are two popular left leaning political apps that offers a different view point from the conservative apps.

“Salon” has a wide variety of content and “Maddow”, an app named after MSNBC commentator Rachael Maddow, offers different categories that allow the consumer to listen to Maddow’s news reporting.

If you don’t identify with either party and consider yourself an Independent, then the “Real Clear Politics” app is the way to go. This app focuses on politics from an Independent perspective.

Even though political apps are becoming popular among many, some students prefer to view news content online.

“I keep up to date with democracynow.org a lot.” Sharon Baldwin, a senior exercise physiology, said.

With the political apps making their way to smartphones, obtaining news on your time and in your own way is now easier than ever. If you are interested in getting news on demand, then try one of the apps that we have listed for up- to- date news about the upcoming election.