{"id":27567,"date":"2024-05-10T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-10T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2024\/05\/10\/federal-workers-both-democrat-and-republican-eager-to-vote-this-fall\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:58:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:58:48","slug":"federal-workers-both-democrat-and-republican-eager-to-vote-this-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/fedlife\/career\/2024\/05\/10\/federal-workers-both-democrat-and-republican-eager-to-vote-this-fall\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal workers, both Democrat and Republican, eager to vote this fall"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The vast majority of federal government employees and retirees responding to a new Federal Times survey <\/a>are registered to vote and plan to cast ballots in the presidential election this November, with many saying they feel the civil service has become more politicized than in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The federal workforce is a silent constituency, comprised of millions of employees working in every state. This population lives in rural areas and in cities. They work in highly academic fields and in blue collar occupations. It is a ubiquitous group, but it is not monolithic. And when it comes to politics, opinions may differ, but workers are barred from acting on them at work<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite its apolitical nature, this population is not one to be taken for granted, said experts interviewed by Federal Times. Like other citizens, they can vote, and they do, according to a poll of more than 1,000 readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would say it\u2019s an important constituency in our country,\u201d said Max Stier, founding president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service,<\/a> in an interview. \u201cThere are, at the federal level, limitations on the kinds of political activities that federal employees can engage in, but they do get to vote and therefore their vote does matter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost all \u2014 98% \u2014 of the respondents said they are registered voters, and a whopping 95% told Federal Times they intend on casting ballots for president this fall when incumbent Joe Biden faces the Republican nominee, who almost certainly will be former President Donald Trump. That compares with 92% of registered voters<\/a> and slightly more than two-thirds of all eligible voters<\/a> who cast ballots in the 2020 elections nationwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Census estimates there were roughly 122 million active U.S. voters in 2022,<\/a> of which the federal workforce represents a small fraction: about 2.2 million. But counting millions more retirees, service members, sympathetic family and friends, and state and local government workers, the total government workforce has the potential to be a significant voter base, said Brian Baugus, a professor at Regent University who has studied public sector employees\u2019 influence on elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In a survey of more than 1,000 respondents, Federal Times found opinions were split on whether feds were satisfied with the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden was the victor. (Graph courtesy of Federal Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGovernment employees vote in disproportionately higher numbers than any other employment category,\u201d he told Federal Times via email. \u201cWhile they are a bit under 10% of the population, they are regularly 12% to 15% of the electorate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experts surmise there are a few reasons for that. For one, Baugus said government workers have a strong vested interest in the outcome of elections. Simply put: executive branch employees are voting for their boss\u2019 boss. They may also feel incentivized to vote indirectly for the policy proposals and priorities they will later be tasked with implementing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t get to make that choice in their workplace,\u201d said Stier. \u201cIn the workplace, they have to follow the lead of those people who are elected by the general population. So, their one opportunity to express their views about which direction the country should go in, is the voting booth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How powerful are feds as voters?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

In recent months especially, Republicans floated campaign planks that would directly impact federal employees\u2019<\/a> pay, benefits, <\/a>telework offerings and career stability. In the survey, most respondents ranked federal salary raises or pay reform as a top concern, followed by retirement issues and then Schedule F.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baugus said it\u2019s also true that government employees, by virtue of their career, may have an affinity for public policy, or they may simply know more about it than the average voter who needs to make more of an effort to stay ahead on the issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[Government workers\u2019] costs of being an informed voter are lower,\u201d he said. \u201cHigher incentives and lower costs usually lead to more action, in this case voting, especially since they are usually forbidden from being involved in campaigns and electioneering, so voting is their only outlet for political activity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t