2024 exit polls: Fears for American democracy, economic discontent drive voters

ABC News is reporting preliminary results from exit canvass data.

Americans are going to nan polls Tuesday to formed their ballots successful nan historical predetermination betwixt Vice President Kamala Harris and erstwhile President Donald Trump.

Surveys up of Election Day recovered nan 2 candidates successful a virtual dormant power nationally and successful respective cardinal plaything states.

Broad economical discontent, crisp divisions astir nan nation's early and polarized views of nan major-party candidates people elector attitudes nationally successful ABC News' preliminary exit canvass results.

The authorities of populist prevailed narrowly arsenic nan astir important rumor to voters retired of 5 tested successful nan exit poll.

The state and democracy

Voters broadly definitive much antagonistic than affirmative views astir nan country's direction: Just 26% are enthusiastic aliases satisfied pinch nan measurement things are going, versus 72% dissatisfied aliases angry.

More voters spot American populist arsenic threatened than opportunity it's secure, 73% to 25%. Still, astir six successful 10 successful these preliminary exit canvass results opportunity nan country's champion days are up of it, versus astir a 3rd who opportunity nan country's champion days are successful nan past.

Extremism and campaigner favorability

Fifty-five percent telephone Trump's views "too extreme," and he's underwater successful individual favorability, 44%-55%. Fewer telephone Harris' views excessively utmost (46%), though she's besides underwater successful individual favorability, albeit slightly, 48%-50%.

Favorability isn't determinative: Just 40% saw Trump favorably successful 2016, erstwhile he won nan Electoral College (albeit not nan celebrated vote). One logic is that almost arsenic few, 43%, had a favorable position of his force that year, Hillary Clinton. (In 2020, Trump's favorability standing was 46%; Joe Biden's was 52%.)

Underscoring nan emotion associated pinch nan contest, preliminarily 36% of voters opportunity they'd beryllium "scared" if Trump were elected, while 29% would beryllium frightened by a Harris win.

The system and Biden

The system remains a cardinal irritant. Voters opportunity it's successful bad style by 67%-32%. And 45% opportunity their ain financial business is worse now than 4 years ago, versus 30% nan same, pinch conscionable 24% doing better. The "worse off" number exceeds its 2008 level, past 42%, and acold outpaces its shares successful 2020 (20%) and 2016 (28%).

Biden takes nan heat, pinch conscionable a 41% occupation support standing (58% disapprove). It's been a situation for Harris to seduce voters she's taking a caller guidance from Biden's. (Biden's support standing is nan lowest for an incumbent president successful exit polls since George W. Bush's 27% arsenic he near agency successful 2008. Trump managed 50% occupation support successful 2020, yet Biden hit him anyway).