Voters in 50s hold key to election says poll

Apr 03, 2020, 08:44 am

By AsiaToday reporter Lim Yoo-jin

With twelve days until the April 15 general election, the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the main opposition United Future Party are uniting their own supporters.

There is no doubt that people in their 30s and 40s and the elderly, mid 60s and over, show clear support for the liberal DP and the conservative UFP, respectively.

Polling experts say that those in their 50s and early 60s who are willing to wear a mask and come out to cast their vote will decide which bloc will win in the upcoming 21st general elections.

At the request of AsiaToday, R&Search surveyed people in their 50s and 60s for three days on Mar. 28, 29, and 31 to find out their voting intention.

The poll showed that the approval ratings for the rival parties among people in their 50s saw little difference of 4.5 percentage points, with the ruling party garnering 40.9 percent compared to 36.4 percent for the main opposition party. Among people in their 60s and over, the approval ratings for the two major parties showed 9.2 percentage points of difference, with the ruling DP reaching 33.4 percent while the main opposition UFP standing at 42.6 percent. The approval ratings between the two parties among people in their 50s and 60s showed a single-digit gap. The rival parties revealed Wednesday that they have engaged in fierce competition in nearly 130 out of 253 electoral districts.

As shown in the poll, those in their 50s and 60s are likely to hold a casting vote in the upcoming election.

In addition to voters in their 50s and 60s, another key variable in the election is young voters. The DP has a lead among voters under 30, beating UFP 43.6 percent to 28 percent.

The DP’s highest support is found with voters in their 40s, among whom it leads UFP 53.2 percent to 21.3 percent. The ruling party also leads the main opposition party by 45.9 percent to 30.7 percent among voters in their 30s.

However, there is little gap of 9.7 percentage points in approval ratings between candidates, with the DP reaching 42.5 percent and the UFP standing at 32.8 percent, hinting fierce competition between candidates of the two parties.

The approval ratings for the DP stands at 43.5 percent, followed by the UFP with 31.4 percent, the Justice Party with 3.4 percent, and the Party for People’s Livelihoods with 1.4 percent.

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