Democracy and the economy are the two main issues for voters in what could be one of the closest elections in history, according to exit polls.
More than a third of respondents said democracy was their number one issue, and about three in 10 said the economy. Immigration and abortion also featured prominently.
The Associated Press conducted a separate Vote Cast poll, which found the economy and immigration to be the top issues, but the future of democracy was also a major motivator for many Americans to vote. Abortion was also high on their list.
Polls generally found a stark divide between Kamala Harris voters and those who support Donald Trump.
Harris supporters named democracy as their top issue, followed by abortion. Trump voters said the economy was their top issue, followed by immigration.
Democracy and the economy are the two main issues for voters in what could be one of the closest elections in history, according to exit polls. Georgia residents cast their votes on Election Day above
More worryingly, all polls show voters are pessimistic about the country’s future.
According to exit polls, approximately three-quarters of the electorate have a negative opinion about the way things are going in the United States today.
Only about a quarter say they are enthusiastic or satisfied with the state of the nation, more than 4 in 10 are dissatisfied, and about 3 in 10 say they are angry.
AP’s VoteCast found that about 8 in 10 voters want “substantial change” in the way the country is run, including about a quarter who said they wanted a complete and total upheaval.
About 7 in 10 voters said the country was headed in the wrong direction.
About two-thirds of voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food and groceries. About half had concerns about health care, housing costs and gas prices.
Nearly 6 in 10 voters said their personal finances remained stable. But about 3 in 10 described themselves as “falling behind,” a higher proportion than in 2020.
Donald and Melania Trump voted on Election Day in Palm Beach
Kamala Harris rallies voters in last-minute campaign push at Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington DC
The AP found that when asked what most influenced their vote, about half of voters identified the future of democracy as the most important factor.
That figure was higher than the proportion who responded the same way about inflation, the situation on the US-Mexico border, abortion policy or freedom of expression.
Those issues also outweighed considerations about the recent assassination attempts against Trump or the legal cases he faces, as well as the possibility of Harris becoming the first woman president.
Nearly 6 in 10 were very or somewhat concerned that another Trump term would bring the United States closer to being an authoritarian country.
As the first polls arrived at closing time, some battleground states were already reporting high voter turnout despite threats apparently aimed at disrupting the vote.
Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia have received alleged threats of Russian origin, a US official told CNN.
A large majority of voters, about 7 in 10, say they are worried about violence as a result of the election, according to the network’s exit polls.
A polling place in north Austin in Texas
Voters in line to vote in Nevada
Both presidential candidates are focused on turnout.
Trump went to vote on Tuesday. He urged voters to “get off that beautiful couch” and vote.
Harris stopped by the Democratic headquarters in Washington DC to help do phone banking and brought the volunteers Doritos, which is her favorite snack.
The network’s exit polls are a combination of in-person interviews with Election Day voters and in-person, telephone and online surveys that gauge the opinions of early and absentee voters by mail. They were conducted by Edison Research on behalf of the National Election Fund.
AP VoteCast is a survey of the American electorate conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. It surveyed more than 110,000 voters and was conducted over eight days, concluding when the polls closed.