Campaign

Poll: Dems lead GOP by 5 points on generic ballot

by Lisa Hagen - 10/31/18 11:25 AM ET

Democrats hold a 5-point lead over Republicans on a generic congressional ballot less than a week out from the critical November midterm elections.

The Economist/YouGov poll released Wednesday found 47 percent would vote for the Democratic candidate if the election was held today, compared to 42 percent who would cast a ballot for the Republican candidate.

Seven percent remain undecided and 2 percent said they wouldn’t vote.{mosads}

Democrats’ lead on the congressional generic ballot remains relatively unchanged since the last Economist/YouGov survey from a week prior, which found the party with a 6-point lead. Other recent polls have found Democrats with a double-digit lead in the battle for the House majority.

In Wednesday’s poll, Democrats have an 11-point lead among female voters, while Republicans have a smaller 2-point edge among male voters.

Democrats also have an advantage with voters between the ages of 18 to 44. Republicans hold a lead with voters who are 45 and older.

Republicans hold an 8-point lead over Democrats among white voters, 50 percent to 42 percent. But Democrats hold a massive lead among black voters and a sizable double-digit advantage among Hispanic voters.

With signs that voter turnout will surpass the 2014 midterm elections, 58 percent of voters say they’re more enthusiastic to vote in this election. When looking at party breakdown, Democrats and Republicans are nearly even in their enthusiasm.