Election Day is almost here. For many, the end of the campaign season will come as a great relief.
But how do members of the Democratic and Republican parties really feel about the elections as Nov. 5 looms?
Recently, the CFP Board surveyed 1,005 adults and found that voters in one particular political party were more likely to report negative feelings about the upcoming election.
On the other hand, voters in the other party were a bit more likely to report positive feelings.
But it is the surprisingly negative views of a third group that could swing the election.
So, which party’s voters see the glass as half-full, and which see it as half-empty? Read on to find out.
How Americans as a whole feel
When all survey respondents were asked how they feel about the election, they expressed a mix of positive and negative emotions.
Some voters lean toward the positive, describing themselves as:
- Optimistic: cited by 37% of all respondents
- Confident: 22%
- Happy: 17%
But negative emotions carry the day among voters overall. Survey respondents were more likely to describe themselves as:
- Anxious: cited by 45% of all respondents
- Frustrated: 26%
- Pessimistic: 17%
For years, polls have consistently shown that a large majority of Americans believes the country is on the wrong track. Perhaps that is why nearly half of all poll respondents report at least some anxiety about the election.
How Republicans feel
Survey respondents in the Republican Party lean more toward the negative than the positive in their views. They describe themselves as:
- Anxious: 47% (versus 45% of all respondents)
- Frustrated: 29% (versus 26%)
- Pessimistic: 19% (versus 17%)
Perhaps having lost the presidency in 2020 has left Republicans in a gloomier mood overall.
On the other hand, some Republicans have a sunnier outlook, describing themselves as:
- Optimistic: 36% (versus 37% of all respondents)
- Happy: 16% (versus 17%)
- Confident: 22% (the same as for all respondents)
How Democrats feel
As we head toward Election Day, Democrats are feeling a bit more upbeat than their Republican counterparts. Perhaps that is a result of having held the White House for four years.
Among survey respondents from the Democratic Party describe themselves as:
- Optimistic: 46% (versus 37% of all respondents)
- Confident: 26% (versus 22%)
- Happy: 22% (versus 17%)
However, not everyone in the Democratic Party has a positive outlook. Some Democrats say they are:
- Anxious: 45% (the same as for all respondents)
- Frustrated: 21% (versus 26%)
- Pessimistic: 15% (versus 17%)
How independents feel
It is often said that independent voters swing elections in one direction or the other. So, their outlook might provide crucial insights into what will happen in November.
As it turns out, independents are feeling more negative than either Republicans or Democrats. Relatively large numbers of independents describe themselves as:
- Frustrated: 49% (versus 26% of all respondents)
- Anxious: 43% (versus 45%)
- Pessimistic: 20% (versus 17%)
It is interesting to note that independents are especially likely to describe themselves as “frustrated” compared with Democrats and Republicans. Perhaps independents don’t like the choices they face this election season.
However, some independents are in a more positive frame of mind, describing themselves as:
- Optimistic: 22% (versus 37% of all respondents)
- Confident: 16% (versus 22%)
- Happy: 11% (versus 17%)
Again, though, the relatively small percentages of independents expressing positive feelings suggests that this group of voters is not happy about things overall as the election approaches.
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