Posted at 11:18 AM ET, 11/05/2012
Will weather affect Election Day results for President and Congress?
Model simulation shows very little precipitation over the U.S. Wednesday afternoon, with just some light rain in north Florida and light rain/snow in Wisconsin and parts of the Upper Midwest. (StormVistaWxModels.com)
Much has been written about the effect of bad weather on Presidential Election Day turnout in general and whether it benefits one party or another. My colleague, Steve Tracton, nicely addressed these issues in his October 30, 2008 post, “Weathering the Election.”
As it was then, the country seems to be at a political crossroads once more. Could the weather again be a major factor in Election Day turnout? A new survey conducted by The Weather Channel confirms earlier studies: bad weather seems to deter undecided voters more (35%) than either Democrats (27%) or Republicans (20%) from going to the polls. Clearly, Republicans seem to benefit from a stormy Presidential Election Day.
Yet the latest weather maps show relatively quiet weather across much of the U.S. this Election Day, perhaps giving a slight edge to Democratsja.
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