Polls & Research

Democrats, Republicans Tied at 48% in U.S.

- The two main parties in the United States are even six weeks before the mid-term congressional election, according to a poll by Gallup released by USA Today. 48 per cent of respondents would support the Democratic candidate in their district, while 48 per cent would vote for the Republican contender.

Support for the Republicans increased by two points since August. In the November 2004 congressional ballot, the Republican Party elected 232 lawmakers to the United States House of Representatives, while the Democratic Party secured 202 seats. The Republicans also have a majority in the Senate, with 55 members in the 100-seat upper house.

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 228-196 to require every U.S. voter to provide a photo identification to participate in the 2008 election, and proof of citizenship to take part in the 2010 ballot.

Republican Florida congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite explained the rationale, saying, "Those who are in this country illegally want the same rights as United States citizens without obeying the laws of our land. We should not let these criminals defraud our election system by allowing them to vote."

Democratic Texas congressman Charles Gonzalez disagreed, declaring, "This is calculated to disenfranchise a certain segment of our society and those are minorities. The collateral damage will be seniors, the homebound, victims of disaster and members of the armed services."

Polling Data

If the elections for Congress were being held today, which party's candidate would you vote for in your Congressional district? As of today, do you lean more toward the Democratic Party's candidate or the Republican Party's candidate?
(Likely voters)