New Survey Finds Americans’ Enthusiasm for Voting Is “Average”

A new Gallup survey finds slightly more than half of U.S. adults (54%) express enthusiasm about voting this year than in previous elections. Forty-one percent of respondents are less enthusiastic. 

Gallup says this is “about average” at this point in the presidential campaign. The global analytics and advisory firm found that overall enthusiasm was greater at similar times in the 2020, 2008 and 2004 presidential election years. On the other hand, Americans’ enthusiasm was lower in 2000, 2012 and 2016.

Americans tend to become more enthusiastic about voting as election day approaches. Gallup found that the number of “more enthusiastic” voters increases to nearly 65% closer to elections, while the percentage of “less enthusiastic” voters decrease to roughly 23%. This has been true for all elections since 2004 except for 2016, when the nominees were Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Overall enthusiasm for the political party also contributed to voter enthusiasm. Gallup says the party with the highest voter enthusiasm at the end of the presidential campaign season usually results in a win for their candidate. 

Both Democrats/Democratic-leaning independents (55%) and Republicans/Republican-leaning independents (59%) say they are more enthusiastic about voting this year than in previous elections. However, more Democrats (42%) are less enthusiastic about voting than Republicans (35%). Both parties are less enthusiastic than four years ago.

“Whether Americans’ enthusiasm for voting is high or low matters less to presidential election outcomes than which party expresses greater enthusiasm at the end of the campaign. That remains to be seen,” Linda Saad, the director of U.S. social research, writes.

These results are based on a poll conducted March 1-20. Read the full report here.