Report: Fake Libertarian Hurt McAuliffe More than Cuccinelli

ABC News’ exit poll analysis shows that McAuliffe was hurt more than Cuccinelli by the presense of fake libertarian candidate Sarvis. 

According to Gary Langer and Gregory Holyk, “while it didn’t change the outcome, the third-party candidate in the race, Libertarian Robert Sarvis, may have made it closer for McAuliffe than it would have been otherwise. Had he not been on the ballot, a third of his voters said they’d have supported McAuliffe – slightly more than twice as many as said they’d have gone for Cuccinelli.”

Exit polls are not particularly reliable, people like to say they voted for the winner regardless of whether they actually did. Nevertheless, if these results are correct, a chunk of Sarvis voters would have stayed home rather than place a vote for Cuccinelli.