Six in 10 Would Vote for an Atheist for President
NEWSMAX

A record 58 percent of Americans would vote to elect an atheist for president if their political party nominated a non-believer for the White House, a new poll reveals.

The Gallup survey asked: "Between now and the 2016 political conventions, there will be discussion about the qualifications of presidential candidates — their education, age, religion, race and so on. If your party nominated a generally well-qualified person for president who happened to be an atheist, would you vote for that person?"

Only 40 percent said they would not vote for an atheist versus the 58 percent who said they would. The rest were not sure.

Gallup first asked a similar question in 1958, and only 18 percent of respondents at that time said they would vote for an atheist, and 75 percent would not.

As recently as 2007, 53 percent said they would not vote for an atheist and 45 percent said they would.

And in the most recent survey before the new one, in June 2012, a majority, 54 percent, said they would vote for an atheist and 43 percent said they would not.

Younger Americans are far more likely to say they would vote for a non-believer — 75 percent of those 18 to 29 years old would vote for an atheist, while just 34 percent of those ages 65 and above would do so.

Democrats are more likely to vote for an atheist — 64 percent said they would, compared to just 45 percent of Republicans.

Gallup also found that a majority of respondents would vote for a White House candidate regardless of his or her religion.

According to the survey, 93 percent would vote for a Catholic, 91 percent for a Jewish candidate, 81 percent for a Mormon, 73 percent for an evangelical Christian, and 60 percent for a Muslim.

Three-quarters of respondents said they would vote for a gay or lesbian candidate, and 92 percent would vote for a woman or a black candidate.

A majority of Democrats, 59 percent, said they would vote for a socialist candidate, but only 26 percent of Republicans would do so.

Gallup noted: "The general trend is that Americans have become significantly more accepting over time."