The Newsweek poll indicates that by a 61%-19% margin, registered voters in the survey believe that Kerry won the debate. The survey also indicates that 74% of registered voters in the survey group watched the debate. Stop here. Approximately 62 million people watched the debate on television. There are approximately 135 to 140 million registered voters in the country. So fewer than half of all registered voters saw the debate, but 74% of Newsweek's survey group did. Three networks conducted traditional post debate telephone surveys on who won the debate. Kerry won the debate according to all three surveys, but by margins of 9 to 16%, and ratios of 3 to 2 or 4 to 3. The Newsweek survey group thought Kerry won by about 4 to 1, and by 45%.