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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMidterm Turnout Down in 2014
Nonvoters are also more racially diverse than the voting population and are less educated. More than 40 percent of likely nonvoters in the 2014 elections identified as Hispanic, black or other racial/ethnic minorities, compared with 22 percent of likely voters. While most voters (72 percent) have completed some college, nonvoters are more likely to have never attended college.
On average, the populations who are likely to avoid the polls are also the populations likely to vote for a Democrat, which presents a challenge for the Democratic Party. The challenge of turning out voters likely factored into the Democratic losses in the midterm elections, when Republicans gained control of the Senate.
Because turnout drops for midterm elections compared to presidential elections, it makes more sense to compare Tuesday's voter turnout to the last midterm elections in 2010. Turnout was less for eligible voters this time around: 36.6 percent voted, compared with 40.9 percent in 2010, according to data from the United States Elections Project.
THE REST:
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2014/11/05/midterm-turnout-decreased-in-all-but-12-states
AleksS
(1,665 posts)1) GOP voter suppression tactics worked.
2) Traditional GOTV just doesn't. Let me explain. I got emails saying record numbers of calls were made, record numbers of doors were knocked on, record numbers of emails were sent. And turnout was down. Now, obviously we can't do a controlled experiment so we don't know what turnout would have been without the calls/emails/doors. BUT, there's got to be a better way.
The GOP uses 24/7/365 hate and fearmongering via FoxNews and AM radio. And that works for them. Having a rockstar candidate in President Obama worked for us. Unfortunately having a rockstar candidate is a temporary solution, and we don't own the media like the right wing does. Help?
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)... discouraging those on the left, who are more moderate, and less likely to be engaged politically, from voting.
This hurts us most in the midterms.
AleksS
(1,665 posts)It's hard to tell people to vote for your party, when you're simultaneously telling people how much your party sucks.
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)... its fine to in-fight a year out from the election or during primaries ... but after that, then we need to line up and focus on the real enemy.
But we just don't seem to be able to do it.
Triana
(22,666 posts)As for Dem media to propagandize for us - we have none. Zero. Zilch.
It seems Warren and Sanders can get on TV - why can't other Dems?
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)It certainly would be interesting. I don't know if the numbers would have made a difference since a super majority didn't even show up. Would love the numbers just the same though.