So one of the first things TV analysts talk about from election exit polls is how religious groups voted, particularly Protestant evangelicals and Catholics.

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As the nearby results of an election exit-poll question show, Americans who voted in 2012 are more skeptical of government than they were in 2008 or 2004.

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Early voting suggests a record 213 million people are eligible to vote this year, said McDonald, who also works with the consortium that conducts election exit polling for broadcast and news networks.

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