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Doug Jones: Electoral Breakdown
After conducting an extensive search, we established that a majority of women voted for Doug Jones in the Alabama Senate election. For the first time in 25 years, the people in Alabama voted for a Democrat. Around 57% of women voted for Doug Jones. On the other hand, 56% of men voted for Roy Moore.
Around 98% of black women voted in Doug Jones while only 34% of white women did the same. Around 93% of black men voted for Doug Jones white only 26% of white men did the same. The Black Belt region of Alabama is prone to experiencing voter oppression. High voter turnout for this area favored Doug Jones, a Democrat. High voter turn out in the Black Belt region further implies less effective voter suppression.
HOW WHITE VOTERS TYPICALLY VOTED IN THE PREVIOUS ALABAMA SENATE ELECTIONS
In the last Senate election, the Republicans won 97% of the votes. The voter turnout is said to have been more than the expected 25% that was projected by the Secretary of State of Alabama. According to a tweet by Patrick Karl Thomas, the voter turnout in Alabama was over 50%. Going by the preliminary results 96% of blacks and 30% of white voters stated their support for Doug Jones.
White voters made 72% of the total voters in the year 2012, 75% of the total voters in the year 2014, 75% of the total voters in the year 2016, and 71% of the total voters in 2017. Roy Moore got increased support from white supporters in 2017 compared to 2012.
DIFFERENCE IN VOTING TRENDS AMONG WHITE VOTERS IN ALABAMA
Class
Around 55% to 60% of voters were from the rural white counties. A majority of the white working class voted for the Republican candidate, over the last three Senate elections in Alabama. The white working-class men voters need to be mobilized so that they can participate more in elections. The Democrats are also advised to engage more white working-class voters as the majority of democrat voters are blacks.
RELIGION
White voters who are Christians made up 44% of the voters in Alabama. Around 18% showed support for Doug Jones while 80% supported Roy Moore. In the year 2008 and 2012, this group of white voters accounted for 47% of the voters in Alabama.
LOCATION
About 22% of all voters came from Northern Alabama, 24% from North Central, 31% from Birmingham/south central, and 22% from southern Alabama. These statistics remain the same for the years 2012 and 2008.
LEVEL OF EDUCATION
Over 50% of white women with college degrees voted for Roy Moore as 62% of men with a college education supported him as well. White women with no college education who voted for Roy Moore account for 70% while the men represented 79%.
Around 30% of white voters supported Doug Jones in the Alabama Senate election while 68% of white voters supported Roy Moore. About 40% of the 30% white college graduates supported Doug Jones while 57% supported Roy Moore. Around 22% of the 36% white voters with no college degrees supported Doug Jones while 77% supported Roy Moore.
Around 45% of the white college graduate women supported Doug Jones in the Alabama Senate election while 52% supported Roy Moore. About 25% of the 17% white noncollege graduate women supported Doug Jones while 73% supported Roy Moore.
Around 35% of the 16% white college graduate men supported Doug Jones in the Alabama Senate elections while 62% supported Roy Moore. Around 19% of the white noncollege graduate men voters supported Doug Jones while 79% supported Roy Moore.
IF CHANGING VOTING HABITS AMONG THE WORKING CLASS WHITES AND RURAL WHITES IN THE 2017 SENATE ELECTION CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEMOCRAT'S WIN
Voting habits among the rural whites and working-class whites did not greatly affect the 2017 senatorial elections. Most white voters supported their preferred candidate basing on a number of factors.
Roy Moore's moral conduct was a matter of concern to some white voters considering the fact that he was accused of sexual misconduct. Around 34% of the total voters in Alabama considered this to be one of the major factors to look at when voting. Some white voters did not vote for him because of this.
There was also the abortion debate which split some Republican votes. White voters cast their votes depending on which side they stood on the matter of legalizing abortion. About 15% of the total voters were of the opinion that abortion should be legal in all cases, 27% were of the opinion that abortion should be legal in some cases, while another 27% of the voters were of the opinion that abortion should be illegal in all cases.
The 2017 election win was mostly influenced by the high voter turn out from the black belt region of Alabama, which has the most democrat supporters.