Purple pride: 59-year-old suburban folk to decide election

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With more than five weeks remaining in the two-year race many of the decided voters are desperately wishing was over, one has to wonder, “Who are these undecided voters, and why can’t they make up their minds?”

Market data compiled by the private marketing agency Acxiom looks to answer that question by defining the swingingest voters in the purplest of states.

The result: 59-year-old suburbanites.

Acxiom’s study focused on voters who do not identify with either of the two parties in one of 14 historically competitive swing states, including Minnesota. Besides an average age just below 60 and a house in the suburbs, the purple voter was found to identify more frequently with conservative views than liberal, be a member of the American Association of Retired Persons and have an average yearly income of $53,000. Media consumption habits of purple voters are similar to those of conservative voters, listening to talk or news radio and logging an average of 6 to 9 hours of cable news per week.