Voting bloc
 | The examples and perspective in this United States may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (June 2023) |
A voting bloc is a group of voters that are strongly motivated by a specific common concern or group of concerns to the point that such specific concerns tend to dominate their voting patterns, causing them to vote together in elections.[1] For example, Beliefnet identifies 12 main religious blocs in American politics, such as the "Religious Right", whose concerns are dominated by religious and sociocultural issues; and American Jews, who are identified as a "strong Democratic group" with liberal views on economics and social issues.[2] The result is that each of these groups votes en bloc in elections.
Orthodox Jewish bloc voting
In the United States, ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in New York[3] and New Jersey[4][5] have a tradition of voting as a bloc, as directed by local leadership, in order to secure as much influence as possible.[6][7] While Orthodox voters typically vote for Republican candidates on the national level, community leaders will often endorse local Democratic candidates if they are viewed as likely to win,[8] or if they could effectively represent the Orthodox community in a majority Democratic caucus.[9] In one example, Republican nominee Lee Zeldin won the heavily Orthodox New York's 48th State Assembly district by 66 points in the 2022 New York gubernatorial election, but it also elected Democratic assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein.[10] In the 2016 United States presidential election in New York, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's highest statewide totals both came from Orthodox villages: Clinton won 96 percent of the vote in a district of New Square, while Trump won 90 percent of the vote in a district of Monsey.[11]
See also
References
- ^ "Definition of BLOC". 2 March 2024.
- ^ "The Twelve Tribes of American Politics".
- ^ Nathan-Kazis, Josh (2010-10-14). "New York Candidates Court Hasidic Vote". The Forward. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
- ^ Weiss, Steven I. "U.S. gets another Orthodox mayor" Archived February 7, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, July 12, 2006. Accessed February 6, 2022. "That's certainly the case in Lakewood, where Meir Lichtenstein was inaugurated as mayor in January. Orthodox Jews make up nearly half of the village's 70,000 residents, and they often vote as a bloc, with a council of leaders determining whom they should support."
- ^ Stilton, Phil. Jack Ciattarelli visits Lakewood, making a pitch for the Lakewood bloc vote Archived February 7, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Shore News Network, May 31, 2021. Accessed February 6, 2022. "New Jersey candidate for Governor Ciattarelli this week visited Lakewood to lobby for that town's large and highly coveted 'bloc vote'. In politics, the Lakewood Orthodox Jewish community often votes as a bloc, but not always, guided by a council of rabbis and business owners in the growing city called 'the VAAD'. The Lakewood vote can often make or break a candidate's campaign and Ciattarelli knows that."
- ^ Cuza, Bobby (2022-11-04). "Orthodox Jewish vote could prove critical in governor's race". Spectrum News NY1. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
- ^ Heilman, Uriel (2016-04-12). "The Hasidic bloc vote, Bernie and Hillary's Empire State of mind and other NY campaign notes". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
- ^ Cohen, Haley (2022-11-07). "New York midterm elections: Ultra-Orthodox Jews get out vote for Zeldin". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
- ^ Fox, Joey (2023-09-01). "From February: Lakewood's Orthodox community wants a seat in the Democratic caucus. Could it happen?". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
- ^ Solomon, Joshua (2023-07-03). "Zeldin's inroads highlight changing dynamics in Assembly for Democrats". timesunion.com. Archived from the original on 2023-07-03. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
- ^ Brum, Robert; Meaney, Michael G. (2016-12-08). "Presidential election: How Rockland voted". lohud.com. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
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