Voting bloc

{{Short description|Group of voters motivated by a common concern}}

{{Distinguish|Block voting}}{{For|the formalization of the same concept in social choice theory|solid coalition}}{{Globalise|article|United States|date=June 2023}}

A voting bloc is a group of voters that are strongly motivated by a specific common concern or group of concerns to the point that such specific concerns tend to dominate their voting patterns, causing them to vote together in elections.{{Cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloc|title = Definition of BLOC| date=2 March 2024 }}

Beliefnet identifies 12 main religious blocs in American politics, such as the "Religious Right", whose concerns are dominated by religious and sociocultural issues; and American Jews, who are identified as a "strong Democratic group" with liberal views on economics and social issues.{{Cite web|url=http://www.beliefnet.com/News/Politics/2004/10/The-Twelve-Tribes-Of-American-Politics.aspx|title=The Twelve Tribes of American Politics}} The result is that each of these groups votes en bloc in elections. Bloc voting in the United States is particularly cohesive among Orthodox Jews.{{cite web | last=Cuza | first=Bobby | title=Orthodox Jewish vote could prove critical in governor's race | website=Spectrum News NY1 | date=2022-11-04 | url=https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2022/11/04/orthodox-jewish-vote-could-prove-critical-in-governor-s-race | access-date=2024-07-09}}{{cite web | last=Heilman | first=Uriel | title=The Hasidic bloc vote, Bernie and Hillary's Empire State of mind and other NY campaign notes | website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency | date=2016-04-12 | url=https://www.jta.org/2016/04/12/politics/the-hasidic-bloc-vote-bernie-and-hillarys-new-york-state-of-mind-and-other-notes-from-the-ny-primary-campaign | access-date=2024-07-09}}

Voting blocs can be defined by a host of other shared characteristics, including region, age, gender, education level, and even music choice.{{cite journal | last=Boone | first=Catherine | last2=Wahman | first2=Michael | last3=Kyburz | first3=Stephan | last4=Linke | first4=Andrew | title=Regional cleavages in African politics: Persistent electoral blocs and territorial oppositions | journal=Political Geography | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=99 | year=2022 | issn=0962-6298 | doi=10.1016/j.polgeo.2022.102741 | page=102741| url=http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/116385/3/1_s2.0_S096262982200155X_main.pdf }}{{cite web | title=Exit polls show both familiar and new voting blocs sealed Biden’s win | website=Brookings | first=William H. | last=Frey | date=2022-03-09 | url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/2020-exit-polls-show-a-scrambling-of-democrats-and-republicans-traditional-bases/ | access-date=2024-07-10}}{{cite web | last=Finn | first=Emily | title=Three presidential candidates court key voter blocs | website=NewsNation | date=2024-05-19 | url=https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/2024-election/biden-trump-rfkjr-key-voter-blocs/ | access-date=2024-07-10}}{{cite web | last=Sherman | first=Carter | title=The voting bloc that could decide the US election: Swifties | website=the Guardian | date=2024-03-13 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/mar/13/taylor-swift-us-election-politics-joe-biden-donald-trump | access-date=2024-07-10}}