Democratic Voter Enthusiasm Reaches Near All-Time High

Record Election Enthusiasm as 2024 Presidential Race Intensifies

Election enthusiasm among Americans has reached a new high as the 2024 presidential race gains momentum. According to a recent Gallup poll, 69% of U.S. adults report feeling “more enthusiastic than usual” about voting in the upcoming election, a significant increase from 54% in March. This surge in enthusiasm coincides with President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race and the subsequent rallying of Democratic leaders around Vice President Kamala Harris as the new nominee Gallup.

Democrats Drive the Enthusiasm Surge

The recent poll conducted between August 1 and 20 indicates that Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are primarily responsible for this increase in enthusiasm. In March, 55% of Democrats expressed greater-than-usual excitement about voting; now, that number has surged to 78%. In contrast, enthusiasm among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents has seen only a slight increase, from 59% to 64%. This marks a shift from earlier in the year when Republicans held a narrow edge in voter enthusiasm.

The overall election excitement has now reached the highest levels recorded by Gallup during a presidential campaign. The last time similar enthusiasm was observed was in September 2020, October 2008, and August 2004. Among Democrats, the current level of enthusiasm is just one percentage point below the highest recorded in Gallup’s trends since 2000, which was 79% in February 2008 during the intense primary battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

High Levels of Election Thought

The survey also reveals that Americans are giving more thought to the election than ever before. Seventy-nine percent of respondents reported having given “quite a lot” of thought to the election, surpassing the previous August high of 74% recorded in 2008. This level of attention, which usually emerges closer to Election Day, suggests that 2024 could set a new record for election engagement by the end of the campaign. The previous high was 84%, recorded just before the 2004 election.

Throughout 2024, Americans have closely followed the election, with 77% reporting in February and 71% in April that they had already given it considerable thought. Earlier this year, Republicans were more likely than Democrats to be thinking about the election, likely due to the Republican primaries. However, the latest data show that Democrats and Republicans are now equally engaged, while independents continue to lag behind by about 20 percentage points.

Decisive Voters

With such high levels of engagement, it’s no surprise that most voters have already made up their minds. According to the poll, 79% of U.S. adults, including 83% of registered voters, report having decided on their candidate, leaving only about 19% of adults and 16% of registered voters still undecided. Democratic voters are slightly more decisive, with 93% saying they have made up their minds, compared to 86% of Republicans. Among independents, about 60% have chosen a candidate, while 35% remain undecided.

Positive Outlook on Campaign Process

Despite the intense political climate, Americans generally have a positive view of the election process. A majority believe that the campaign has successfully identified at least one good candidate (79%), fostered discussion of important issues (71%), and clarified where candidates stand on these issues (81%). Additionally, 72% say the candidates have offered viable solutions to the country’s problems.

However, opinions differ when it comes to the overall conduct of the campaign. While many Americans agree that the campaign is fulfilling its role in a democracy, more respondents express dissatisfaction than satisfaction with how the campaign is being conducted. This discontent is more pronounced among Republicans and independents, particularly after the Democratic Party nominated Harris following the primaries. Seventy percent of Democrats feel the campaign process is working well this year, compared to only 26% of Republicans and a similarly low percentage of independents.

Bottom Line

President Biden’s decision to step aside as the Democratic nominee has significantly boosted election enthusiasm among Democrats, while also raising concerns among Republicans and independents about the fairness of the process. Despite these concerns, both parties remain highly engaged, with Democrats now showing higher levels of enthusiasm than Republicans. This heightened interest and engagement suggest that voter turnout in 2024 could surpass that of 2020, when two-thirds of eligible U.S. adults cast ballots, the highest turnout in over a century.