Final Marquette Law School Poll Numbers
November 2, 2016
Today, Marquette Law School released its final poll numbers before the November 8 election. The poll, taken among 1,401 participants, gives a final indication on the potential outcome of the Presidential and U.S. Senate races in Wisconsin. The poll predicts positive outcomes in the state for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
With just a week to go, the poll found Democrat Hillary Clinton leading Republican Donald Trump by six points in the Presidential election. Specifically, the poll shows 46 percent of likely voters support Clinton and 40 percent support Trump. The numbers indicate Clinton holds a significant lead despite the recent developments in the ongoing investigation into her emails. Some political observers speculated those developments may damage her performance in the polls. In Wisconsin, at least, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
According to the poll, Democrat Russ Feingold leads Republican incumbent Ron Johnson in the U.S. Senate race. The numbers indicate 45 percent of likely voters plan to vote for Feingold while 44 percent support Johnson. Although Feingold has consistently led Johnson in previous polls, these numbers point to a tight race. Political spectators across the country will closely watch this race on November 8 as it’s a major part of the Democrats’ plan to flip the majority in the U.S. Senate.
According to the poll report, 16 percent of respondents already participated in early voting. Among that group, 64 percent voted for Clinton and 25 percent supported Trump. In the Senate race, 58 percent voted for Feingold while 29 percent casted their ballots for Johnson. These numbers indicate an advantage for Democrats in early voting. Wisconsinites still have until Friday, November 4 to vote early.
Meanwhile in state politics, Governor Scott Walker polled at 42 percent approval rating among participants. That number has held relatively steady over the past few months.
Although the new poll gives the best prediction on the final outcome of the election, a week is a long time for a campaign. Both Clinton and Trump will make their final appeals to voters in the days to come, and it is possible voters’ feelings could continue to change up until Tuesday the 8th.