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Voters split on which party should control Congress: poll

Voters are equally split on which party they believe should control Congress after the November midterm elections, according to a new NBC News poll released Sunday.

The survey found that 46 percent of registered voters want Republicans in charge of the House and Senate with the same percentage of those polled saying they want Democrats to control both chambers.

While preferences are generally split, Democrats also appeared to have some advantages over the GOP among some groups.

Among Black voters, 77 percent want Democrats in control, versus 8 percent who say they prefer Republicans. Latinos are a little more split, with 46 percent preferring Democrats versus 42 percent preferring Republicans.

Young voters also provide an advantage to the left, with 57 percent of voters aged 18 to 34 saying they want Democrats in control, while 33 percent prefer Republicans.


Additionally, 58 percent of white voters with college degrees prefer Democrats in charge, while 38 percent prefer Republicans.

Women also present an advantage for Democrats, with 53 percent saying they want that party in control versus 40 percent who prefer the GOP to be in charge.

Meanwhile, men present an advantage for Republicans, with 53 percent wanting Republican control in Congress versus 39 percent who want it to be Democratic.

White voters also primarily prefer Republican control, with 54 percent saying they want the GOP in charge, while 41 percent say they favor Democrats. White voters without college degrees also hold an edge with Republicans, at 64 percent versus 31 percent who want Democrats.

Forty-three percent of independents are also interested to see Republican control in Congress, while 37 percent want Democratic control.

Voter preferences have remained in similar margins for the past few months. Last month, Republicans were ahead by 2 points at 47 percent, versus 45 percent for Democrats.

The NBC News poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters Sept. 9-13, and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.