Proof apathetic Democrats could blow the midterms for their party

A new Washington Post/ABC News poll finds that Democratic voters' ennui could sink the party come next Tuesday.

In the survey, 65 percent of registered voters said they were "certain" to vote or have already done so. But as The Post's Greg Sargent points out, that number disguises a demographic imbalance that greatly favors the GOP.

Nearly three-fourths of Republicans said they have voted or definitely will, while only 61 percent of Democrats said the same. Meanwhile, 71 percent of white voters said they'll cast a ballot, but only 49 percent of non-whites — who typically vote Democratic — said likewise.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Democrats will certainly face a number of other hurdles this year; they have more territory to defend, and are tied to an unpopular president. But with a handful of tight Senate races coming down to the wire, low turnout from the party's base could doom Democratic candidates — and potentially put the Senate back under GOP control.