{"id":13769,"date":"2014-11-04T07:00:01","date_gmt":"2014-11-04T12:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/%year%\/%monthnum%\/%day%\/6-facts-about-the-electorate-on-midterm-day\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T03:20:26","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T08:20:26","slug":"6-facts-about-the-electorate-on-midterm-day","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2014\/11\/04\/6-facts-about-the-electorate-on-midterm-day\/","title":{"rendered":"6 facts about the electorate on midterm day"},"content":{"rendered":"

All through this year, we have been tracking the mood and opinions of the general public and those who have registered or are likely to vote, and that has added up to this snapshot of the 2014 electorate, which we’ve boiled down to six facts.<\/p>\n\n

\"Despite<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Even though the unemployment rate has fallen sharply since the 2010 midterm elections and a host of other economic measures have improved significantly, it has not done much to brighten\u00a0the public’s mood on\u00a0what it\u00a0considers to be\u00a0the most important voting issue<\/a>. While the economy gets better\u00a0marks than in the last two elections, that isn’t saying much. Just 21% of Americans rated the economy as excellent or good\u00a0in a mid-October survey<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(compared with\u00a013% in September 2012 and 8% in October\u00a02010). And, in this election cycle, fewer Americans expect continued improvement with just 27% believing economic conditions will be better a year from now<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

\"More<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

President Obama is a negative factor for many voters. In our survey last month<\/a>, 32% of registered voters said they thought of their vote for Congress as a vote against Obama, while 20% saw it as a vote for Obama<\/strong>. The rest said Obama would not be a factor in their decision. Obama has even lost ground among fellow Democrats. About four-in-ten (38%) voters\u00a0who plan to support the\u00a0Democratic\u00a0candidate in the congressional elections said they considered their vote a vote “for” Obama, down from 53% in the 2010 midterms.<\/p>\n\n

More voters now see the Republicans as the party that could do a better job on key issues, but they rate the Democrats higher\u00a0when it comes to the party’s image<\/strong> as reflected in its qualities and traits, according to our survey<\/a>. Republicans have a 17 point advantage over Democrats\u00a0as the party more capable of dealing with terrorist threats at home and a 15 point edge when it comes to dealing with the budget deficit. They had a more modest lead over the Democrats on handling the economy (6 points). When it comes to qualities and traits, the Democrats have a 22 point advantage over the GOP when it comes to being seen as the party more willing to work with the opposition, and a 21 point lead in being viewed as the party more concerned “with the needs of people like me.”\n