Analysis-Polling Resources

• Third consecutive rise in voter turnout in the presidential election.
• The turnout impact of battleground states and Election Day registration.

With nearly a third of ballots cast prior to November 4, Democracy Corps analyzes who voted early and why during the 2008 presidential election. The report cites numerous factors that affected early voting including state laws, age, voter engagement and enthusiasm, more focus from the campaigns on early voting and the potential convenience of voting early as opposed to voting on Election Day. Some specific findings about the 2008 election include:read more >>

• Early voting was concentrated in the West and the South;

Concerns about balloting problems persist, but aren't driven by personal experience
Despite problems at the polls in 2000 and 2004, and fears that they would reoccur in the last election, the vast majority of Americans said they had a positive voting experience in 2008. Even more strikingly, citizens expressed strong enthusiasm about being engaged in their communities, according to a Public Agenda survey of voters conducted immediately following the presidential election.read more >>

Appearing on the HBO talk show "Real Time With Bill Maher" a few weeks before last week's election, actor Tim Robbins urged voters to stand their ground when it came to demanding their right to cast ballots: "Refuse provisional ballots. They're throwing those out. They can throw those out. If that's your last resort, take it, but fight in the polling place to vote. It's your right as an American. You have every right to vote if you're registered. And if you're not on the rolls and something went wrong, document it.read more >>

House Winners Raised $1.1 million (median) through October 15; Senate Winners Raised $5.6 million

House and Senate Democratic Party Committees Had Huge Advantages: House Party Spent $1 million or more in 38 Races Won 25 (Three still undecided)

Money and Competition Went Hand in Hand
The Campaign Finance Institute today released its first post-election tables on money in the 2008 House and Senate elections. The released material, which omits data on 4 Senate and 5 House races not yet “called”, includes: read more >>

Mobilized by Immigration Issue, Latinos Break Turnout Records, Tip Elections and Trend Democratic in 2008

Washington, DC – The power of the Latino vote is one of the key storylines to emerge from the 2008 elections. Latino and immigrant voters played a decisive role yesterday by delivering four key battleground states to Senator Barack Obama, lifting many members of the House and Senate to victory, and defeating anti-immigrant legislators.read more >>