Comparing Survey Sampling Strategies: Random-Digit Dial vs. Voter Files
A new telephone survey experiment finds that an opinion poll drawn from a commercial voter file produces results similar to those from a sample based on random-digit dialing.
Voters & Voting
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Voters & Voting
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Turnout in this year’s U.S. House primaries rose sharply, especially on the Democratic side
Turnout in this year’s primaries for Congress and most state governorships surged compared with the last midterms in 2014, particularly among Democrats. Nearly a fifth (19.6%) of registered voters – about 37 million – cast ballots in primary elections for the U.S. House of Representatives – a 56% increase over the 23.7 million who voted in 2014’s House primaries. Turnout that year was 13.7% of registered voters.
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Younger generations make up a majority of the electorate, but may not be a majority of voters this November
Generation X and younger generations make up a majority of the U.S. electorate. But if past U.S. midterm election turnout patterns hold true, these younger Americans are unlikely to cast the majority of votes this November.
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Millennials approach Baby Boomers as America’s largest generation in the electorate
As of November 2016, an estimated 62 million Millennials were voting-age U.S. citizens – moving closer in number to the 70 million Baby Boomers.
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The Generation Gap in American Politics
Generational differences have long been a factor in U.S. politics. These divisions are now as wide as they have been in decades, with the potential to shape politics well into the future.
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Commercial Voter Files and the Study of U.S. Politics
A new analysis demystifies voter files, the widely-used and comprehensive digital databases used to better understand the U.S. electorate.
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Q&A: The growing use of ‘voter files’ in studying the U.S. electorate
Read a Q&A with Pew Research Center’s Ruth Igielnik and Scott Keeter about a recent study about voter files.
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Use of election forecasts in campaign coverage can confuse voters and may lower turnout
Probability forecasts have gained prominence in recent years. But these forecasts may confuse potential voters and may even lower the likelihood that they vote.
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How ‘Drop-Off’ Voters Differ From Consistent Voters and Nonvoters
The 2018 midterm elections will be determined in large part by who goes to the polls and who stays home.
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Gen Zers, Millennials and Gen Xers outvoted Boomers and older generations in 2016 election
Generation Zers, Millennials and Generation Xers cast 69.6 million votes in 2016, a slight majority of the 137.5 million total votes cast.
