The state of democracy was the top concern for voters as they cast their ballots, according to preliminary results from NBC News’ exit poll.
Thirty four percent of voters said democracy mattered most to their vote, while 31% of voters said the economy was most important. Abortion was ranked third most important to voters (14%), followed by immigration (11%) and foreign policy (4%).
The breakdown was different among those who back Vice President Kamala Harris and those who back former President Donald Trump. The majority of Harris supporters said the state of democracy was most important to them and abortion was the next most important issue. Over half of Trump supporters said the economy was most important, followed by immigration. Democracy was most important to just 12% of Trump backers.
Women voters are twice as likely as men to rank abortion as their top issue, while immigration ranked slightly higher among men.
The poll reflects a cynical mood among the American constituency. Three-quarters of respondents feel negatively about the direction of the country. Almost half of voters said they are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs and 45% said they are financially worse off now than they were four years ago, the highest economic dissatisfaction rate since 2008.
When it comes to a candidate’s characteristics, a person who has the ability to lead is most important to voters (30%). A quarter of voters said they want a candidate who will bring change, while 21% prioritized voting for a candidate who has good judgment. Nearly 6 out of 10 voters disapprove of President Joe Biden's performance over the last four years, underscoring the importance of Harris' separation from the President's term.
