Generic Congressional Ballot Average

Below is our table showing the “Generic Congressional Ballot” Polls and the polling average. The “Generic Congressional Ballot” has been useful in showing trends, particularly in midterm elections, of which party is likely to make gains in Congress. As a rule, Democrats tend to lead the Generic Ballot by a few points. In general, if Republicans are even or ahead in the Generic Ballot, it signals they are likely to make gains in Congress. The last few weeks before the election are important to watch, to see if the ballot moves in the direction of one party or the other.