Did more Republicans show up to vote than Democrats?

[Tony_FLADEM]

From everything I have read, Republicans and Democrats showed up in equal numbers to vote. About 40.5 million each. It was the independent voters that went 16% for Republicans that gave them their margin of victory.

So there really was no enthusiasm gap between the 2 parties. Does that sound about right?

[grasswire]

1. apparently it was the youth vote that stayed home

That was the conclusion on MSNBC last night. Millions of younger people who went out to vote for Obama in 2008 stayed home on this mid-term.

[ourbluenation]

6. they always stay home at mid terms.

[joeybee12]

2. Problem is, more democratic registered voters than repuke...n/t

[HopeHoops]

3. I don't think so. The returns say otherwise. I think the swing came from the independent vote.

I was working as a poll watcher (and had to work closely with the Republican poll watcher to do it) and we were laughing about how many people weren't in either of our lists. They're the wild card. I was an independent for many years but voted for Democrats (mostly). I registered as a Democrat for the first time so I could vote in the primary for Obama.

[young but wise]

4. More unimformed voters showed up.

[kentuck]

5. Several races were very close...

and could have gone either way.

[CommonSensePLZ]

7. All vs. Likely said

Of all the registered voters the preference was for Democrats by 5% across the board, of likely voters the preference was usually for republicans about 4% (MSNBC and AP I think). So yeah, either there were more republican voters out this year, or swing and moderate voters were with the tea party..

If people actually had voted we might have a dem house, but what are you gonna do? This is what they wanted. :shrug: