- Polls show that almost one in five voters are not happy with the choice of Trump or Biden
- Dissatisfied voters in critical swing states are looking to other candidates
- Data shows that third-party candidates could easily siphon votes from either party
Nearly 20 percent of voters in the United States are not happy with the choice of one of the major parties to become president this year: former President Donald Trump or President Joe Biden.
Data from the daily Morning Consult questionnaire tracking more than 300,000 registered voters shows that 19 percent of voters nationwide have an unfavorable opinion of both Biden and Trump.
The voting bloc, described as the ‘Double Haters’, remains dissatisfied with both candidates. Twenty-nine percent of them identify as Democrats, 41 percent identify as Independents and 31 percent identify as Republicans.
Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, speaks at a campaign rally
President Joe Biden speaks in Washington, DC.
However, the double haters are stronger against Trump than against Biden. Sixty-two percent view Trump very unfavorably, while 49 percent view Biden similarly.
However, Biden’s highly unfavorable numbers have grown by nine points since 2020, from 40 percent to 49 percent. Trump’s unfavorable ratings fell four points, from 66 percent to 61 percent.
The data shows that third-party candidates like Robert F. Kennedy or Cornel West have a real opportunity to gain support from voters unhappy with the top two choices.
A significant number of voters are considering supporting third-party candidates.
Currently, 36 percent of double haters say they will vote for someone else, while 11 percent won’t say how they would vote. The rest of the disaffected bloc was fairly evenly divided; 27 percent say they will ultimately support Trump, while 26 percent say they will support Biden.
The data shows that in seven of the top swing states, about 20 percent of voters are still unhappy with either candidate. Arizona has 22 percent, Michigan and Wisconsin 21 percent, Nevada 20 percent, North Carolina 19 percent and Pennsylvania and Georgia 18 percent.
The double haters plan to vote differently depending on their state.
In Michigan, where more than 100,000 Democrats gathered during the Democratic primaries on Tuesday to vote ‘uncommitted’ instead of Biden, many voters appear willing to go further than Trump and Biden.
A large number of double haters in the state of Michigan, 39 percent, said they would vote for a completely different candidate. Twenty-seven percent of the group said they would support Biden, and 25 percent chose Trump.
More disaffected voters in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania also appear ready to move on. Thirty-four percent of Pennsylvania double haters are ready to go further than Biden and Trump and 38 percent of Wisconsin voters are ready to go further.
Data shows Biden beating Trump in Arizona among the double haters, with a 36 percent lead to Trump’s 25 percent. In Nevada, however, Trump leads among the dissatisfied group with 35 percent against Biden’s 23 percent.
Georgia is fairly evenly split, with 31 percent choosing to vote for someone else, 30 percent choosing Trump and 29 percent choosing Biden.