Study shows how Jewish vote could play crucial role in key states
BOSTON (JTA) — A new study, touted as the first-ever state-by-state, county-by-county Jewish population estimate, shows how the Jewish vote could play a crucial role in key battleground states.
The study, released Thursday and conducted by the Steinhardt Social Research Institute at Brandeis University in suburban Boston, found that in Bucks County, Pennsylvania — one of the areas closely watched this election cycle — Jewish adults make up more than 6 percent of the population.
“That’s three times more than the national numbers” of Jews, said research associate Daniel Parmer.
Jewish voters have a record of higher-than-average turnout.
“If it’s a tight race,” Parmer said, “Jewish voters could swing the election” in that county.
The study also shows how the Jewish vote could have significant impact in Florida’s Palm Beach area, where the 209,400 Jews there make up nearly 15 percent of the adult population, according to the study.
That number is significant in a state where President Barack Obama won by less than 1 percent in 2012, or 74,309 votes.
The study also looked at American Jews’ party identification, finding that 54 percent of American Jews identify as Democrats, while 14 percent identify as Republicans.
But only 43 percent of American Jews call themselves liberal, a lower percentage than those who say they are Democrats.
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http://www.jta.org/2016/09/22/news-opinion/politics/jews-are-largely-liberal-but-not-necessarily-democrats-new-study-finds
