Economics was one of the most important issues, but concerns about democracy brought many voters to the polls

WASHINGTON – Voters said the economy and immigration are the most important issues facing the country, but the future of democracy was also a key motivator for many Americans who cast ballots in Tuesday’s presidential election.

AP VoteCast, a comprehensive survey of more than 110,000 voters nationwide, found a country mired in negativity and desperate for change as Americans faced a stark choice between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump, the Republican, tried to define the election as a referendum on the Biden-Harris administration and blamed inflation and illegal crossings at the U.S. border with Mexico. Harris, the Democrat, tried to portray herself as more focused on the future and described Trump as old, tired and a threat to the Constitution.

About 4 in 10 voters considered the economy and jobs will be the most important issue facing the country as frustration over the 2022 inflation spike lingers in the form of higher costs for groceries, housing and gasoline. About 2 in 10 voters said immigration is the most important issue, and about 1 in 10 chose abortion.

But when asked what most influenced their vote, about half of voters said the following future of democracy as the 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.

Trump has the lead on the economy, Harris has the lead on abortion

Trump had an edge over Harris in terms of which candidate could better handle the economy, as well as on the immigration issue. On abortionHarris was seen as the stronger candidate. During the campaign, Harris spoke of women’s access to abortion and medical care as a matter of fundamental freedom, while Trump said it was a matter best left to the states after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 .

Trump said tariffs on both rivals and allies — as well as increased oil production — would pump up the economy, while Harris said his rates would worsen inflation. She argued that tax breaks for parents and assistance for first-time homebuyers and startup founders would be more helpful.

When asked who would be best able to handle taxes, AP VoteCast found that the two respondents were relatively equal.

Voters see the need for change

What united the country was the feeling that the status quo was not working. About 8 in 10 voters want at least “substantial change” in the way the country is governed, including about a quarter who said they want complete and total unrest. But what that change would look like is a source of contention and division.

Harris and Trump have put forward clashing ideas about what America needs — all reflected in an unprecedented campaign season. Harris has the unique status of being a woman of color who only emerged as a candidate in July, when Biden left the race over concerns about his age. The 78-year-old Trump, on the other hand, faced two murder attempts and was convicted of multiple crimes related to his business dealings.

About seven in 10 voters said the country was on the wrong track, with Trump promising a return to his time in the White House as the solution and Harris saying her policies were focused on the future.

Voters are frustrated with the economy

About 6 in 10 people describe the economy as not so good or bad, similar to four years ago, when the economy stayed afloat thanks to trillions of dollars in government aid provided during the pandemic. But as the country emerged from the pandemic, inflation began to rise due to supply shortages and higher consumer demand, helped by additional government support. Ultimately, in 2022, higher food and energy prices after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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 about 3 in 10 describe themselves as “lagging,” a higher percentage than in 2020.

Some doubts about Harris and fears about Trump as an authoritarian

Still, both candidates’ experiences raised some pointed questions among voters about whether they should be in the White House.

Harris’s time as Biden’s vice president and meteoric rise to the Democratic nomination left about a quarter of voters viewing her as untested — a characterization that Trump does not face as substantially after serving as commander in chief from 2017 to 2021.

But Trump has also used fiery rhetoric about pursuing his perceived enemies, a threat that is weighing heavily on the minds of many voters after his refusal to accept his 2020 loss contributed to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Nearly six in 10 are very or somewhat concerned that another Trump term would move the US closer to an authoritarian country, where a single leader has unchecked power. Just under half say the same about Harris.

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AP reporter Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report.

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AP VoteCast is a survey of the American electorate conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for Fox News, PBS NewsHour, The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press. The survey of more than 110,000 voters lasted eight days and ended when the polling stations closed. The interviews took place in English and Spanish. The survey combines a random sample of registered voters from state voter files; self-identified registered voters using NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population; and self-identified registered voters selected from online panels who are not likely to vote. The margin of sampling error for voters is estimated at plus or minus 0.4 percentage points. Find more details about AP VoteCast’s methodology at https://ap.org/votecast.