Study Shows Connection Between Rural Voting and Candidate Success

A study by the Center for Rural Strategies shows that rural Arizonans could have a bigger impact on the 2012 elections than most people might think.

Public News Service reports that the group has tracked how people in rural areas have voted in recent elections. They found a connection between how a candidate does with these voters and his or her unltimate success in getting into office.

The group says that their poll of rural voters in battleground states shows that when Republican candidates run up big margins among these voters, they win national elections. But when Democrats reduce the Republican lead in rural areas, Democrats tend to win elections.

These trends held true in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections, as well as the 2006 midterm elections.

The study is online at ruralstrategies.org.