Post-election analysis -- who voted?

By Sharon Hughes

BUSH Wins 51% of the Popular Vote & 279 of Electoral College
(Kerry 48% & 252 EC)

(Data gathered from USA Today online and the San Francisco Chronicle)

President George W. Bush won his re-election with 51% of the vote, the first President to win over 50% since the 1980's, He clearly won the popular vote with a 3.5 million vote lead, and received more votes than any President in history. Please use this information to write letters to the editor, on blogsites, talk radio etc. and pass on to others to help keep the post-election commentary accurate.

Who Voted: Exit polls, early and absentee voters...

Party: More Republicans went to the polls this year

• Democrats 37%, Republicans 37% (in 2000 Democrats out-numbered Republicans 39% — 35%)
• 89% of Democrats voted for Kerry, 10% for Bush
  
• 93% of Republicans voted for Bush, 7% for Kerry
  
• Independent: 47% for Bush, 50% for Kerry
  
  

Gender:

• Men: Bush 54%, Kerry 45%
  
• Women: Bush 45%, Kerry 52%
  
  

Age: Young adult numbers remain the same

• 18-29 yrs: Bush 45%, Kerry 54% (Both in 2000 & 2004 this age group equaled 17% of those who voted)
  
• 30-44: Bush 51%, Kerry 47%
  
• 45-59: Bush 50%, Kerry 49%
  
• 60+: Bush 53%, Kerry 46%
  
  

Race/Ethnicity:

• White: Bush 57%, Kerry 42%
  
• Black: Bush 11%, Kerry 89%
  
• Hispanic: Bush 42%, Kerry 55%
  
• Asian: Bush 41%, Kerry 59%
  
  

Other Groups: Not All overseas and Provisional votes counted yet

• White/Evangelical: Bush 77%, Kerry 22%
  
• Union Member: Bush 38%, Kerry 61%
  
• Military/Families: Bush 55%, Kerry 43%
  
• Gay/Lesbian/Bi-Sexual: Bush 23%, Kerry 77%
  
• Gun Owner: Bush 61%, Kerry 37%
  
  

Marital Status

• Married: Bush 56% Kerry 43%
  
• Married Men: Bush 59% Kerry 40%
  
• Married Women: Bush 54% Kerry 45%
  
• Unmarried: Bush 37% Kerry 59%
  
• Unmarried Men: Bush 44% Kerry 53%
  
• Unmarried Women: Bush 36% Kerry 63%
  
  

When voted:

• Early: Bush 50% Kerry 49%
  
• Election Day: Bush 50% Kerry 48% (16% of voters voted early)
  
• First Time Voters: Bush 45%, Kerry 54% (9% of 2000 11% of 2004 voters were first time voters)
  
• 2000 Voted for Gore: 2004 Bush 10%, Kerry 90%
  
• 2000 Voted for Bush: 2004 Bush 90%, Kerry 9%
  
• 2000 Did not vote: 2004 Bush 44%, Kerry 54%
  
  

Most important issue/Voted for: Everyone is still scratching their heads on #1 choice

• (22%) Moral values: Bush 80%, Kerry 18%
  
• (20%) Economy/Jobs: Bush 18%, Kerry 80%
  
• (19%) Terrorism: Bush 86%, Kerry 14%
  
• (15%) Iraq: Bush 25%, Kerry 74%
  
• (8%) Healthcare: Bush, 22% Kerry 78%
  
• (5%) Taxes: Bush 56%, Kerry 44%
  
• (4%) Education: Bush 25%, Kerry 75%
  
  

Most Important Qualities/Voted for:

• (25%) Will bring needed change: Bush 7%, Kerry 95%
  
• (17%) Has clear stand on the issues: Bush 78%, Kerry 21%
  
• (17%) Strong leader: Bush 86%, Kerry 13%
  
• (11%) Honest, trustworthy: Bush 70%, Kerry 29%
  
• (8%) Religious faith: Bush 91%, Kerry 8%
  
• (7%) Intelligent: Bush 8% Kerry 91%
  
  

VOTED FOR BUSH: Ideology

• Liberal: Bush 13%
  
• Moderate: Bush 45%
  
• Conservative: Bush 84%
  
  

Church Attendance

• More than once a week: Bush 64%
  
• Weekly: Bush 58%
  
• Monthly: Bush 50%
  
• A few times a year: 45%
  
• Never: 36%
  
• Protestant 59%
  
• Catholic 52%
  
• Jewish 25%
  
• Other 23%
  
• None 31%
  

Education:

• No high school 49%
  
• High school graduate 52%
  
• Some college 54%
  
• College graduate 52%
  
• Postgraduate study 44%
  
  

Some Comparisons...Voter Turnout

Of Registered Voters: President Bush gained 9 million votes; probably over 2 million of Nader's 2000 votes went to Kerry this election

• 2000 51.3%
  
• Bush 50,465.169
  
• Gore 50,996,062
  
• Nader 2,529,871
  
• 2004 59.1%
  
• Bush 59,117.523
  
• Kerry 55,557,584
  
• Nader 395,969
  

Highest voter turnout since 1968

• 1960 J.F. Kennedy — 63%
  
• 1964 L.B. Johnson — 61.9%
  
• 1968 & 72 Richard Nixon — 60.8% & 55.2%
  
• 1976 Jimmy Carter — 53.5%
  
• 1980 & 84 Ronald Reagan — 52.5% & 53.1%
  
• 1988 George H.W. Bush — 50.1%
  
• 1992 & 96 Bill Clinton — 55% & 49%
  
• 2000 & 2004 George W. Bush — 51.3% & 59.1%
  
  

See the map — Who won by State & County

Everyone's vote does indeed count!

© Sharon Hughes