1. How many more people voted in early elections for the 2018 midterms compared to the 2014 midterms, six days before the election?

2. Voter turnout in the United States fluctuates in national elections. In recent elections, about 60% of the voting eligible population votes during presidential election years, and about 40% votes during midterm elections. What was voter turnout in the 2014 midterms?

3. In how many states have early and absentee voters surpassed the overall numbers from 2014?

4. What generally happens to the president’s party in midterm elections? Why?

5. Texas and Florida have contentious races that according to the polls are close. What was early voting turnout in these two states?

6. Watch the MSNBC video from Oct. 23 under “Resources” below and answers the following:
a) Houston is in Harris County, Texas. What was early voter turnout there?
b) What was voter turnout in the first 5 days of early voting in North Carolina?
c) How was Minnesota’s voter turnout described?
d) By how much did Georgia turnout increase? (Close race: CBS reports “Poll shows Democrat Stacey Abrams and Republican Brian Kemp nearly tied” - he is up by one point)
e) How much higher was voting in one Indiana county?
f) Republicans have turned out to vote at much higher number as of October 23 in 7 out of 8 key states. By how many points are they up in each? - In which state and by how much is Democratic voter turnout higher?
Florida
Georgia
Texas
Arizona
Indiana
Montana
Tennessee
__________

7. Most polls used in news reports show the Democratic candidates lead over their Republican opponents. However, early voter turnout shows more Republican voters have cast their ballots thus far.
The Census Bureau estimated that there were about 157.6 million registered voters in November 2016.
24,024,621 million people across the country cast their ballots for the midterms as of October 31.

a) In states with competitive elections turnout has doubled or tripled from 2014. What do you think a larger turnout of Republicans indicates? (Could it just mean that Democratic voters like to cast their ballots on election day?) Explain your answer.

b) Do you think the experts quoted in many news articles are correct - that Democrats will win control of the House? Or do you agree with others who have said there are too many close races to call and its a toss-up? Explain your answer.