Pollster Mallory Newall said in an interview that aired Thursday on “What America’s Thinking” that voter turnout will increase in the midterms, which likely benefits Democrats.
“When it comes down to it, I do think that we’re going to see higher turnout than we have,” Newall, research director at Ipsos Public Affairs, told Hill.TV’s Jamal Simmons.
“In 2014 turnout was 36 percent and of course higher turnout when you’re empowering young people, people of color, poor people…when you’re empowering those people to vote, that does tend to benefit Democrats,” she continued.
The Real Clear Politics polling average on Thursday showed Democrats with a 7.3 point lead on the generic ballot.
The party’s lead could be, in part, attributed to increased enthusiasm among voting groups, such as minorities, who normally lean Democratic.
An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released on Sunday found that 81 percent of black voters said they preferred a Congress controlled by Democrats, while 66 percent of Latino voters said the same.
Fifty-eight percent of 18-34-year-old voters and 57 percent of women said they also wanted to see a Democratic Congress.
Republicans, on the other hand, led with white voters, men and white voters with no college degree.
— Julia Manchester
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