BY THE NUMBERS: 3 Key Takeaways from the 2016 Jewish Vote
Image by Forward Montage
By Laura E. Adkins November 9, 2016
On Nov 9, the Pew Research Center released its preliminary findings on how religious groups voted in the 2016 presidential election.
There are 3 Key Takeaways:
Hillary Clinton garnered less of the Jewish vote than Gore, Kerry, or Obama in 2008.
71% of Jews supported the democratic nominee in this year’s election — slightly more than the 69% who voted for Obama in 2012, but significantly less than the 78% who turned out for Obama in 2008, the 74% who voted for Kerry in 2004, or the 79% who voted for Gore in 2000.
Religious attendance strongly correlated with supporting Donald Trump.
Image by Laura E. Adkins
Pew’s data is for the American electorate in general, but Orthodox Jews are unlikely to have been an exception to this rule: A September 2016 poll conducted by the American Jewish Committee found that approximately 50% of Orthodox voters favored Trump while 21% supported Clinton (a full 15% said they would not vote).
Jews as a Percentage of the Electorate Held Relatively Steady
For the past two decades, Jews have formed approximately 2-4% of the electorate, and 2016 was no different.
Laura E. Adkins is the Forward’s contributing network editor. Contact her at adkins@forward.com or on Twitter, @Laura_E_Adkins.
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