There are fewer swing voters in 2010 than there have been in the past two midterm elections, according to a new Gallup poll released Thursday.
Fifteen percent of voters are not yet committed to voting for a candidate compared to about 22 percent in 2006 and 32 percent in 2002. And while one in six voters are still on the fence, including a third of independents, this election’s voters are slightly more committed to Republican candidates than Democrats.
Eighty-six percent of voters preferring Republican candidates are committed to their choice while 82 percent of voters are committed to their Democratic one. Conversely, of those voters who prefer Democratic candidates, 16 percent said they could change their mind, while 14 percent of voters preferring Republicans said they could flip flop.
The poll’s findings are consistent with widely held beliefs that a GOP wave will sweep Democrats out of power in the House and possibly the Senate. The low number of swing voters is bad news for Democrats, who hope that a late surge can help them keep their losses relatively small.