Of the six-in-ten voters who cited Sarah Palin as a factor in their vote, 56% favored John McCain compared with 43% who chose Barack Obama. However, the exit polls are mixed on Palin’s impact, since 60% of Americans casting ballots said that Palin is not qualified to be president should it become necessary. Of those voters, 81% backed Obama. Read More

Russell Heimlich  is a former web developer at Pew Research Center.