Roughly three-quarters of the US electorate holds a negative view of the current state of affairs in the country, as revealed by the initial results of a national exit poll conducted during this year's presidential election. Only about one-quarter of voters describe themselves as enthusiastic or satisfied, while more than 4 in 10 express dissatisfaction and roughly 3 in 10 admit to feeling angry.
Despite these sentiments, there remains a sense of optimism among voters, with over 60% believing that America's best days are yet to come, compared to about one-third who think they are already in the past. President Joe Biden's approval rating is currently below water, with approximately 4 in 10 voters approving of his job performance and a majority expressing disapproval.
The exit polls for the 2024 general election involved interviews with thousands of voters, including those who voted on Election Day and those who cast their ballots early or via absentee. These polls serve as a valuable tool for understanding the demographic makeup and political inclinations of this year's electorate, with the findings eventually being compared to the actual election results.
It is important to note that exit polls, while informative, are not definitive measures due to margins of error. They are most reliable when viewed as estimates rather than precise figures, especially the initial numbers that have not been adjusted to align with the final election outcomes.
Conducted by Edison Research on behalf of the National Election Pool, the exit polls combined in-person interviews with Election Day voters and early or absentee voters reached through in-person, telephone, and online surveys. In-person interviews on Election Day were carried out at 279 randomly selected polling locations, while interviews with early and absentee voters took place between October 24 and November 2 at 27 early voting sites, over the phone, or online.
The results from the full sample of 16,604 respondents have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points, with larger margins for specific subgroups.
