The following information is based on exit polls. 1972 to 1988 exit polls reported here were conducted by CBS News and the New York Times. In 1990 and 1992, the national exit polls were conducted by Voter Research and Surveys (VRS). From 1994 to 2002 Voter News Service (VNS) conducted the polls, and the 2004 and 2006 exit polls were sponsored by the National Election Pool and conducted by Edison/Mitofsky.
Year-by-Year Party Identification: By Gender | Male | Female |
|---|
| Democrat | Independent | Republican | Democrat | Independent | Republican |
|---|
| 1972 | 44% | 22% | 34% | 47% | 17% | 36% |
| 1976 | 39% | 38% | 23% | 43% | 30% | 27% |
| 1980 | 42% | 27% | 31% | 48% | 24% | 28% |
| 1982 | 43% | 26% | 31% | 48% | 22% | 30% |
| 1984 | 35% | 29% | 36% | 41% | 23% | 35% |
| 1986 | 36% | 28% | 36% | 43% | 25% | 33% |
| 1988 | 33% | 28% | 39% | 42% | 25% | 33% |
| 1990 | 33% | 32% | 35% | 39% | 28% | 32% |
| 1992 | 34% | 30% | 36% | 41% | 26% | 34% |
| 1994 | 31% | 31% | 38% | 41% | 26% | 33% |
| 1996 | 34% | 29% | 37% | 44% | 23% | 33% |
| 1998 | 32% | 30% | 37% | 42% | 25% | 33% |
| 2000 | 33% | 29% | 38% | 44% | 25% | 32% |
| 2002 | 33% | 26% | 41% | 42% | 20% | 38% |
| 2004 | 31% | 29% | 39% | 41% | 24% | 35% |
| 2006 | 32% | 31% | 37% | 43% | 23% | 34% |
Year-by-Year Party Identification: By Age | 18-29 | 30-44 | 45-59 | 60+ |
|---|
| Dem. | Ind. | Rep. | Dem. | Ind. | Rep. | Dem. | Ind. | Rep. | Dem. | Ind. | Rep. |
|---|
| 1972 | 47% | 28% | 26% | 46% | 21% | 33% | 48% | 16% | 36% | 41% | 10% | 49% |
| 1976 | 40% | 40% | 20% | 39% | 37% | 24% | 42% | 30% | 28% | 45% | 22% | 32% |
| 1980 | 44% | 29% | 27% | 41% | 31% | 28% | 47% | 24% | 30% | 46% | 17% | 36% |
| 1982 | 43% | 28% | 29% | 42% | 28% | 30% | 47% | 23% | 30% | 50% | 18% | 32% |
| 1984 | 37% | 26% | 37% | 38% | 30% | 32% | 39% | 28% | 34% | 40% | 20% | 41% |
| 1986 | 38% | 25% | 38% | 41% | 29% | 31% | 40% | 26% | 34% | 39% | 23% | 37% |
| 1988 | 38% | 24% | 38% | 37% | 29% | 34% | 36% | 29% | 35% | 42% | 22% | 35% |
| 1990 | 33% | 29% | 38% | 36% | 32% | 32% | 36% | 32% | 33% | 39% | 27% | 34% |
| 1992 | 36% | 27% | 37% | 36% | 29% | 35% | 37% | 31% | 33% | 45% | 21% | 34% |
| 1994 | 34% | 29% | 37% | 33% | 30% | 37% | 36% | 31% | 33% | 40% | 25% | 35% |
| 1996 | 42% | 27% | 31% | 38% | 25% | 37% | 39% | 28% | 33% | 40% | 24% | 36% |
| 1998 | 36% | 28% | 35% | 37% | 27% | 36% | 39% | 32% | 30% | 37% | 25% | 39% |
| 2000 | 36% | 29% | 35% | 38% | 27% | 36% | 38% | 28% | 33% | 42% | 23% | 35% |
| 2002 | 37% | 24% | 39% | 35% | 22% | 43% | 37% | 25% | 38% | 42% | 20% | 38% |
| 2004 | 37% | 29% | 35% | 34% | 26% | 40% | 38% | 27% | 35% | 37% | 24% | 39% |
| 2006 | 43% | 26% | 31% | 37% | 26% | 37% | 37% | 28% | 35% | 36% | 27% | 37% |
Year-by-Year Party Identification: By Race | White | Black |
|---|
| Democrat | Independent | Republican | Democrat | Independent | Republican |
|---|
| 1972 | 42% | 20% | 37% | 78% | 11% | 11% |
| 1976 | 38% | 35% | 27% | 74% | 19% | 7% |
| 1980 | 41% | 27% | 32% | 73% | 17% | 10% |
| 1982 | 42% | 25% | 33% | 75% | 16% | 9% |
| 1984 | 34% | 27% | 39% | 77% | 16% | 7% |
| 1986 | 36% | 27% | 38% | 74% | 17% | 9% |
| 1988 | 33% | 28% | 39% | 77% | 14% | 9% |
| 1990 | 34% | 31% | 35% | 72% | 18% | 10% |
| 1992 | 34% | 28% | 38% | 75% | 17% | 8% |
| 1994 | 31% | 30% | 39% | 76% | 18% | 5% |
| 1996 | 34% | 27% | 38% | 72% | 16% | 12% |
| 1998 | 32% | 29% | 40% | 75% | 18% | 7% |
| 2000 | 32% | 29% | 39% | 80% | 15% | 6% |
| 2002 | 31% | 24% | 45% | 80% | 15% | 5% |
| 2004 | 30% | 27% | 43% | 77% | 17% | 6% |
| 2006 | 31% | 28% | 41% | 75% | 18% | 7% |
Year-by-Year Party Identification: By Region | Northeast | Midwest | South | West |
|---|
| Dem. | Ind. | Rep. | Dem. | Ind. | Rep. | Dem. | Ind. | Rep. | Dem. | Ind. | Rep. |
|---|
| 1972 | 42% | 20% | 38% | 41% | 21% | 38% | 55% | 18% | 27% | 48% | 18% | 34% |
| 1976 | 35% | 39% | 26% | 37% | 37% | 26% | 55% | 27% | 19% | 41% | 29% | 30% |
| 1980 | 43% | 28% | 28% | 41% | 29% | 31% | 51% | 22% | 26% | 43% | 23% | 35% |
| 1982 | 50% | 24% | 26% | 38% | 26% | 36% | 51% | 26% | 24% | 43% | 20% | 37% |
| 1984 | 40% | 29% | 31% | 36% | 27% | 37% | 39% | 26% | 35% | 39% | 21% | 41% |
| 1986 | 39% | 29% | 32% | 40% | 28% | 32% | 45% | 24% | 30% | 38% | 21% | 41% |
| 1988 | 39% | 29% | 32% | 37% | 29% | 34% | 39% | 25% | 37% | 38% | 23% | 39% |
| 1990 | 35% | 33% | 33% | 33% | 33% | 34% | 40% | 27% | 33% | 39% | 27% | 34% |
| 1992 | 39% | 30% | 31% | 36% | 29% | 35% | 40% | 25% | 35% | 36% | 26% | 38% |
| 1994 | 39% | 31% | 30% | 33% | 32% | 35% | 38% | 25% | 36% | 34% | 27% | 39% |
| 1996 | 40% | 29% | 30% | 38% | 27% | 35% | 41% | 23% | 36% | 38% | 24% | 38% |
| 1998 | 41% | 28% | 31% | 36% | 29% | 36% | 37% | 27% | 36% | 37% | 27% | 36% |
| 2000 | 40% | 30% | 30% | 36% | 31% | 34% | 40% | 22% | 38% | 39% | 25% | 36% |
| 2002 | 40% | 26% | 34% | 38% | 22% | 40% | 36% | 20% | 44% | 38% | 25% | 37% |
| 2004 | 41% | 30% | 30% | 37% | 25% | 38% | 35% | 22% | 42% | 34% | 30% | 36% |
| 2006 | 44% | 30% | 26% | 37% | 25% | 38% | 35% | 24% | 41% | 37% | 30% | 34% |
Year-by-Year Party Identification: By Education | Less than HS | HS Grad | Some College | College Grad + |
|---|
| Dem. | Ind. | Rep. | Dem. | Ind. | Rep. | Dem. | Ind. | Rep. | Dem. | Ind. | Rep. |
|---|
| 1972 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1976 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1980 | 55% | 18% | 27% | 50% | 23% | 27% | 40% | 29% | 31% | 37% | 30% | 33% |
| 1982 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1984 | 53% | 17% | 30% | 41% | 25% | 34% | 36% | 27% | 37% | 34% | 29% | 37% |
| 1986 | 54% | 24% | 22% | 44% | 26% | 31% | 36% | 27% | 37% | 35% | 26% | 39% |
| 1988 | 55% | 20% | 25% | 45% | 23% | 32% | 35% | 29% | 36% | 31% | 29% | 40% |
| 1990 | 50% | 22% | 28% | 42% | 29% | 29% | 36% | 30% | 34% | 33% | 31% | 36% |
| 1992 | 55% | 17% | 28% | 43% | 25% | 32% | 36% | 28% | 36% | 35% | 27% | 38% |
| 1994 | 51% | 23% | 26% | 39% | 27% | 34% | 30% | 29% | 41% | 35% | 31% | 34% |
| 1996 | 55% | 19% | 27% | 45% | 24% | 31% | 38% | 27% | 35% | 36% | 27% | 38% |
| 1998 | 50% | 21% | 30% | 44% | 25% | 32% | 35% | 30% | 36% | 35% | 29% | 36% |
| 2000 | 49% | 23% | 27% | 42% | 26% | 32% | 37% | 28% | 35% | 35% | 28% | 37% |
| 2002 | 57% | 11% | 32% | 45% | 17% | 38% | 37% | 22% | 41% | 34% | 24% | 42% |
| 2004 | 41% | 25% | 35% | 40% | 23% | 37% | 34% | 27% | 38% | 35% | 28% | 37% |
| 2006 | 51% | 21% | 28% | 43% | 24% | 33% | 36% | 27% | 36% | 34% | 29% | 37% |
© 2007 The Washington Post Company
