Poll: Voter enthusiasm drops sharply

Voter enthusiasm has dropped sharply over the last four years, according to a Gallup poll released Monday.

More than half of registered voters now say they are less enthusiastic about voting compared to previous elections. Just over one-third say they are more enthusiastic. 

Gallup measured an 18-percentage-point enthusiasm deficit for 2014. The gap is larger than the one the polling organization recorded in 2010. 

{mosads}Half of registered Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they are less enthusiastic about voting, while 42 percent say they are more enthusiastic. 

Even more Democrats, 55 percent, say they are less enthusiastic about voting. Thirty-two percent are more enthusiastic.

Gallup notes that the party whose supporters are more enthusiastic have done better in midterm elections. 

In 2010, for instance, 62 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning voters were more enthusiastic about voting. Forty-four percent of Democrats, by contrast, were more enthusiastic. 

The GOP won control of the House in that election. 

The poll also found just over a quarter of people say they have given “quite a lot” or “some” thought to this year’s midterm elections.

Thirty-seven percent of Republicans said they have given at least some thought to the election, and 24 percent of Democrats have done the same.

The poll was conducted between April 24 and 30, and covered 1,336 registered voters. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.