US Elections: Poll reveals Jewish voters may be switching sides

A survey carried out between August 12 and September 3, 2024, reveals that numerous Jewish voters in the US are reconsidering their usual party loyalties because of increasing antisemitism. According to a study conducted by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), about 43% of Jewish adults believe that antisemitism will affect their voting decisions. Among them, 7.3% of Democratic voters are thinking about switching to the Republican Party, while 3.9% of Republican voters are considering voting Democrats.

Dr. Ira M. Sheskin, who is in charge of the Jewish Demography Project at the University of Miami, stated that there is a never-before-seen change in voting trends among American Jews, which he studied through a survey he created and evaluated. He observed that these shifts appear closely linked to worries about antisemitism and the different reactions of political parties to it.

The research involving 1,075 Jewish adults revealed a growing trend of split-ticket voting, where around 4.3% planned to vote Democratic for president but Republican for other offices, and 2.5% intended to do the opposite.

These results are occurring as concerns about antisemitism in the U.S. are increasing, with 61% of American Jews feeling less secure since October 7, equivalent to approximately 3.54 million Jewish adults. Of those who experienced anti-Semitic incidents, 72% noted a decrease in their feelings of safety. Sheskin noted that the data indicates a notable shift may be occurring in the Jewish community's traditionally strong support for the Democratic party.

Furthermore, the survey also showed that 3.4% of Jewish adults plan to back third-party candidates, indicating discontent with how the two main parties have addressed worries about antisemitism.