How the Faithful Voted: 2014 Preliminary Analysis
Exit poll data from the 2014 midterm elections finds the GOP made inroads among some religious constituencies that traditionally have not been as supportive of Republican candidates.
Exit poll data from the 2014 midterm elections finds the GOP made inroads among some religious constituencies that traditionally have not been as supportive of Republican candidates.
Leading up to the election, there was speculation about how strongly white evangelical Protestants would support a Mormon candidate. According to a new Pew Research Center analysis of exit poll data, white evangelicals voted for Mitt Romney with as much enthusiasm as his other supporters did.
Obama’s margin of victory in the 2012 popular vote was smaller than in 2008. But the religious contours of the electorate were similar to recent elections – traditionally Republican groups such as white evangelicals and weekly churchgoers strongly backed Romney, while traditionally Democratic groups such as black Protestants, Hispanic Catholics, Jews and the religiously unaffiliated backed Obama by large margins.
Catholics are often identified as a major “swing” voting group in American politics. A new analysis shows that the only group of Catholics that has been divided in recent elections is white Catholics who identify as political moderates.
A recent survey finds Latino Catholic voters strongly favor Obama, while Latino evangelical Protestants are more closely divided in their support for Obama and Romney. The survey also finds rising support for same-sex marriage among Latinos.
A new Pew Research Center poll finds that more voters say they have an unfavorable than favorable view of Mitt Romney. Barack Obama’s image remains, by comparison, more positive.
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