People are actually losing friends over one of the nastiest presidential campaigns in U.S. history, a sign that the vitriol between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is infiltrating the way voters interact with one another in real life. The election is also stressing us out, as political images and conversations bombard us on television and social media.
But romantic relationships may be insulated from electoral contention. Regardless of who they support for president, most Americans are married to or in a relationship with someone who will vote for the same candidate they will. Seventy-eight percent of people who support Trump said their spouse or partner will also vote for him. Just 3 percent say their partner will vote for Clinton.
Similarly, 77 percent of those voting for Clinton said their partner also supports her. Just 3 percent said their better half would be voting for Trump. Fifteen percent of Trump supporters and 14 percent of Clinton supporters reported not knowing for whom their partner would cast a ballot.
Most Americans do discuss politics with their partner, with 78 percent of people reporting the topic comes up at least somewhat often. Fourty-four percent said they talk about the election very often. Younger people in relationships are less likely to have such conversations, with only 24 percent of people younger than 30 reporting they talk about politics with their partner. Couples 65 and older are much more likely (63 percent) to do so.
But not many of those conversations are arguments. Because people are so likely to be in a relationship with someone who will vote for the same candidate, not many couples reported arguing about the election. Only 15 percent of people reported arguing with their spouse or partner over politics.
Pew Research conducted the survey of 3,616 registered voters between September 27 and October 10, with most responses captured before the release of a 2005 video in which Donald Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women.