56% of GOP Voters Felt ‘Compelled’ to Vote Vs. 43% of Democrats
Republicans were the most enthusiastic voters this election cycle as the final results indicate. The economy and the overall competence of the government were the two most important issues for all voters.
Fifty-six percent (56%) of Likely Republican Voters say they felt more compelled to vote this year than in previous years, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Forty-one percent (41%) of GOP voters say they didn’t feel this way.
By comparison, just 43% of Democrats felt more compelled to vote this year, but 48% did not. Similarly, among voters not affiliated with either major party, 44% felt more motivated to vote versus 49% who didn’t share this motivation. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
This echoes findings in July when 65% of GOP voters said they were more likely to vote this year compared to previous elections, but just 53% of Democrats said the same.
Among all voters, 47% now say they felt more compelled to vote this year, while 46% did not.
Thirty-four percent (34%) said, generally speaking, they voted for incumbents, while 44% opted for newcomers instead. Twenty-two percent (22%) are not sure.
Republicans (44%) and unaffiliateds (50%) are more likely than Democrats (39%) to have voted for newcomers.
When asked which issue was most important to their vote, 33% of all voters said the economy, followed by 20% who listed government competence. Fifteen percent (15%) rated health care at the top of their list, closely followed by taxes and spending (13%). Five percent (5%) or less listed immigration, the environment, foreign policy or something else as most important to their vote.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on November 4-5, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
The economy has long been the issue voters rate as most important to their vote in the next congressional election, followed by health care and government spending.
Democrats (38%) placed slightly more emphasis on the economy this election cycle than Republicans (32%) and unaffiliated voters (28%) did.
Given the government’s recent problems in a number of areas including veterans’ affairs and the IRS, 24% of GOP voters listed government competence as most important to their vote, a view shared by 22% of unaffiliated voters and 16% of Democrats. This issue rated number two for Republicans and unaffiliateds, but Democrats listed health care in second place.
Men are slightly more likely than women to have voted in this election. Those 40 and older voted more heavily than younger voters.
Those who felt more compelled to vote this election cycle voted for newcomers over incumbents by a 47% to 32% margin.
Going into the election, just 29% of all voters felt that their local representative in Congress deserved reelection. But 67% think most members of Congress get reelected because election rules are rigged to benefit incumbents.
Many Americans question, too, whether their vote really counts.
Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.
Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Twitter or Facebook. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.
The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on November 4-5, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
Rasmussen Reports is a media company specializing in the collection, publication and distribution of public opinion information.
We conduct public opinion polls on a variety of topics to inform our audience on events in the news and other topics of interest. To ensure editorial control and independence, we pay for the polls ourselves and generate revenue through the sale of subscriptions, sponsorships, and advertising. Nightly polling on politics, business and lifestyle topics provides the content to update the Rasmussen Reports web site many times each day. If it's in the news, it's in our polls. Additionally, the data drives a daily update newsletter and various media outlets across the country.
Some information, including the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll and commentaries are available for free to the general public. Subscriptions are available for $4.95 a month or 34.95 a year that provide subscribers with exclusive access to more than 20 stories per week on upcoming elections, consumer confidence, and issues that affect us all. For those who are really into the numbers, Platinum Members can review demographic crosstabs and a full history of our data.
To learn more about our methodology, click here.