Factors that influence voting include sociological factors like income, education, gender, religion, region, and family, as well as psychological factors like party affiliation and views of candidates. People with higher incomes and education are more likely to vote. Since the 1980s, women have increasingly voted Democratic, though the gender gap varies among married and single women. Younger voters tend to vote Democratic but at lower rates. Religious groups influence voting patterns, though the impact of religion has changed over time. Geography also plays a role, as the South shifted to the GOP and cities tend Democratic. Party affiliation is complex, as independents rise but demographic groups still lean to one major party.

1. Voting Patterns

2. Factors that Influence Voting
 Sociological Factors
◦ Income and occupation
◦ Education
◦ Sex and age
◦ Religious and ethnic background
◦ Region of the country where you live
◦ Family makeup

3.  Psychological Factors
◦ Party affiliation and identification
◦ Perception of candidate’s policies and/or
image
◦ The feeling that your vote will make a
statement

4. How Do People Vote?
 Income and Occupation
◦ Lower income=Democratic
◦ Upper-middle & upper-income=Republican
◦ Citizens with higher incomes and more
education vote in greater numbers as a whole;
the #1 factor in determining voter turnout

5.  Gender
◦ Gender Gap—significant deviation between the way
men and women vote
◦ Since 1988, women have voted for Democratic
candidates in greater percentages than men did
◦ 1996: Clinton and Dole split the male vote 50-50;
women voted for Clinton by more than 10%
 “Soccer Moms”—appealing to issues women care about
◦ 2004: new gender gap between single and married
women
◦ 2008: Obama attracted women to the Dem. ticket
◦ 2016: gap still exists, but women split along racial

6.  Youth (18-29)
◦ Both parties want to capture the youth vote
(but of you don’t capture it, does it matter?)
◦ Tend to vote Democratic
 2014 House midterms—54% D to 43% R
◦ Continue to vote in the lowest numbers
 2014 midterms—21.5%
◦ Registration has increased due to public-
service campaigns

7.  Religious and Ethnic Background
◦ Strongly affiliated religious groups tend to vote
more often
◦ Traditionally, Catholics and Jews voted
Democratic
 Catholics have moved back and forth in recent years
◦ Northern Protestants tend to vote Republican
◦ 2000 and 2004—religious gap: churchgoers
voted Republican; nonchurchgoers voted Dem.
 Due to Clinton scandal?
◦ Minority voters do not vote as much as white
voters
◦ Minorities vote heavily Democratic

10.  Geography
◦ After Civil War, South voted Democratic
◦ During Civil Rights era, Southerners moved
Republican
◦ South has tended to vote Republican for national
elections and Democratic for local elections
◦ Northerners vote in larger numbers
◦ New England and Sunbelt states=Republican
◦ Big cities=Democratic
◦ Industrial states=toss up, often Democratic b/c of
union activity
 Example: Ohio in 2008 and 2012 (As Ohio goes, so goes
the nation)
 Union voters are becoming less reliable Dem voters (see

11.  Party Affiliation
◦ More people are registering as Independents
◦ Greater overall Democratic registration
 32% D 23% R 39% I (highest in 75 yrs)
◦ Americans tend to vote on individual
candidates and issues rather than party
identification alone
 Especially true for Presidential elections
 Ticket-splitting for Pres and Congress occurs
regularly
 1996—Clinton reelected but Congress controlled by
Repubs. (Contract With America)
 2012—Obama elected but HOR controlled by