Exit polls reveal the TOP issue for Americans as the polls start to close

Democracy and the economy are the two most important issues for voters in what could be one of the closest elections in history, exit polls show.

More than a third of respondents said democracy was their main problem, while about three in ten cited the economy. Immigration and abortion also scored high.

The Associated Press conducts a separate Vote Cast poll, showing that the economy and immigration are the top issues, but the future of democracy was also a key motivator for many Americans in casting their votes. Abortion was also high on their list.

The polls showed – overall – a sharp divide between voters for Kamala Harris and those who support Donald Trump.

Harris supporters named democracy as their top issue, followed by abortion. Trump voters said the economy was their biggest problem, followed by immigration.

What is more worrying is that all polls show that voters are pessimistic about the future of the country.

According to the network’s exit polls, about three-quarters of the electorate has a negative view of the way things are going in the US today.

Only about a quarter call themselves enthusiastic or satisfied with the state of the country, with more than four in ten saying they are dissatisfied and about three in ten saying they are angry.

AP’s VoteCast found that about 8 in 10 voters want “substantial change” in the way the country is governed, including about a quarter who said they want complete and total unrest.

About seven in 10 voters said the country was on the wrong track.

About two-thirds of voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food and groceries. About half were concerned about health care, housing costs and gasoline prices.

Nearly six in 10 voters said their personal finances remained stable. But around 3 in 10 describe themselves as ‘behind’, a higher share than in 2020.

Donald and Melania Trump voted on Election Day in Palm Beach

Kamala Harris calls on voters for a last-minute campaign rally at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington DC

The AP found that when asked what most influenced their vote, about half of voters cited the future of democracy as the single most important factor.

That was higher than the share who answered the same about inflation, the situation at the US-Mexico border, abortion policy or freedom of speech.

These issues also outweighed considerations of recent assassination attempts against Trump or the lawsuits he faces, as well as the possibility of Harris becoming the first female president.

Nearly six in 10 were very or somewhat concerned that another Trump term would move the U.S. closer to an authoritarian country.

As the closing time of the first polls approached, some battleground states were already reporting high turnout, despite threats apparently aimed at disrupting the vote.

Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia have received suspected Russian threats, a US official told CNN.

A large majority of voters, about seven in ten, say they are concerned about violence as a result of the elections, according to the network’s exit polls.

A polling place in north Austin, Texas

Voters line up to vote in Nevada

Both presidential candidates are focused on turnout.

Trump went to vote on Tuesday. He called on voters to ‘get off that nice couch’ and vote.

Harris stopped by Democratic headquarters in Washington, D.C., to help with phone calls and brought volunteers Doritos, her favorite snack.

The network exit polls are a combination of in-person interviews with voters on Election Day and in-person, telephone and online polls that measure the opinions of early and absentee voters by mail. They were conducted by Edison Research on behalf of the National Election Pool.

AP VoteCast is a survey of the American electorate conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. The survey surveyed more than 110,000 voters and lasted eight days, ending when the polls closed.