Word: The third bullet in the important thing findings was up to date on Sept. 17, 2024, to appropriate a typographical error, the place former President Trump had been misidentified as President Biden.
Key Takeaways
- 4 in ten voters (38%) select the economic system and inflation as an important problem figuring out their vote this fall from an inventory of nationwide points, together with a number of well being care points. Because the economic system looms massive within the 2024 election, voters from each events need their candidates to speak about well being care prices. When voters are requested to supply in their very own phrases what well being care problem they most need to hear the candidates speak about, about 4 in ten voters throughout partisanship point out points associated to the price of well being care. Democratic and Democratic-leaning impartial voters say they want Vice President Harris to speak about normal well being care prices (20%), prescription drug prices (15%), and the price of insurance coverage or lowering their month-to-month premiums (6%). About one in seven supplied abortion because the one well being care problem they need to hear about from Harris and 13% talked about common well being care – a difficulty that was largely debated through the 2020 Democratic primaries. Equally, practically half (45%) of Republican voters and Republican-leaning impartial voters say they might most like to listen to former President Trump speak about well being care prices. That is adopted by one in eight (12%) who say they need to hear him speak about Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Safety.
- Abortion continues to encourage a small group of voters, primarily Democratic and Democratic-leaning impartial ladies voters of reproductive age (ages 18-49). A few fifth of this voting bloc say abortion is their most vital voting problem and half say they are going to solely vote for a candidate who shares their views on abortion. General, this group of voters desires abortion to be authorized and the overwhelming majority (90%) say they need a federal legislation restoring a nationwide proper to abortion much like what was protected by Roe v. Wade. The share of Democratic-leaning ladies of reproductive age who say they assume the presidential election can have a serious affect on abortion entry has elevated 31 proportion factors up to now six months (90% v. 59%), a time during which Vice President Harris turned the Democratic presidential nominee and started highlighting the difficulty in her marketing campaign.
- A majority of all voters now say they belief the Democratic nominee extra to deal with the difficulty of abortion in comparison with former President Trump (53% v. 34%), widening a a lot smaller benefit that President Biden had over Trump earlier this yr (38% v. 29%), an indication of Harris’s relative energy with Democratic voters on this problem.
- Voters largely desire a federal legislation restoring a nationwide proper to abortion, much like what was protected by Roe v. Wade (61%), fairly than leaving it as much as the states to resolve whether or not abortion is authorized or not (39%). Majorities of each Democratic voters (87%) and impartial voters (68%) would like a federal legislation restoring the nationwide proper to an abortion, the coverage place of the Democratic presidential candidate V.P. Harris, whereas seven in ten Republican voters would like leaving abortion legal guidelines as much as the states, the place advocated by former President Trump. Notably, whereas the overwhelming majority of Democratic and Democratic-leaning ladies voters of reproductive age help restoring a federal legislation for a nationwide proper to abortion, this coverage proposal can be most well-liked by half of Republican ladies voters of reproductive age.
How Voters Are Prioritizing Well being Care Points in 2024
The economic system and inflation proceed to dominate the record of points that voters are specializing in throughout this yr’s presidential election with 4 in ten voters (38%) saying it’s an important problem figuring out their vote within the 2024 presidential race. Following the economic system is threats to democracy (22%), immigration and border safety (12%), then a number of particular person well being care points together with abortion (7%), Medicare and Social Safety (7%), and well being care prices, together with prescription drug prices (5%). Altogether, well being care points are seen as an important problem by about one in 5 voters (19%). Gun coverage (3%) and the warfare between Israel and Hamas in Gaza (2%) rank the bottom among the many points included within the record supplied to voters.
Whereas substantial shares of voters throughout partisanship say the economic system and inflation is their most vital voting problem together with greater than half (54%) of Republican voters, the rating of different points are extra partisan. For instance, Republican voters are more likely to prioritize immigration as a voting problem with practically 1 / 4 (23%) saying it’s an important problem to their vote in comparison with one in ten impartial voters (9%) and few Democratic voters (4%). Alternatively, threats to democracy is the highest voting problem for Democratic voters with 4 in ten (38%) saying it’s their most vital problem, in comparison with one in 5 impartial voters (22%) and 5% of Republican voters who say the identical.
Voters Wish to Hear Candidates Speak About Reducing Well being Care Prices
A sign of how the economic system and well being care persistently overlap for voters, financial issues additionally rear up when voters are requested what well being care problem they most need to hear the candidates speak about. Throughout partisans, the recurring theme is prices. Responses associated to well being care prices are supplied by 4 in ten (42%) Democratic and Democratic-leaning impartial voters when requested to say in their very own phrases what’s the one well being care problem they might most like Vice President Harris to speak about. This consists of voters who talked about normal well being care prices (20%), prescription drug prices (15%), and the price of insurance coverage or lowering their month-to-month premiums (6%). About one in seven supplied abortion because the one well being care problem they need Harris to speak about and 13% talked about common well being care – a difficulty that was largely debated through the 2020 Democratic primaries.
Equally, practically half (45%) of Republican voters and Republican-leaning impartial voters say they might most like to listen to former President Trump speak about well being care prices. That is adopted by one in eight voters who say they need to hear him speak about Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Safety.
Well being Care Points, Together with Abortion, Resonate Highest With Sure Voters
General, the person well being care points included within the record loom bigger for Democratic voters, as they’re greater than twice as possible as Republican voters to pick out abortion, Medicare and Social Safety, or well being care prices as their most vital voting problem (25% v. 11%). One in 5 impartial voters additionally selected a well being care problem as their most vital voting problem. As well as, ladies voters are about twice as possible as males to decide on a well being care problem as their most vital voting problem this fall (25% vs. 12%). Democratic voters and girls voters have lengthy been extra more likely to prioritize well being care points than their counterparts, apart from Republican voters’ concentrate on repealing the ACA, however this election cycle is barely completely different. Within the first presidential election because the Supreme Court docket Dobbs determination that overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion is now a high voting problem for about one in ten Democratic voters and the same share of general ladies voters.
General, most voters (58%) say a candidate’s place on abortion is only one of many elements which may have an effect on their vote this yr whereas a couple of quarter of voters say they are going to solely vote for a candidate who shares their views on abortion. About one in 5 (18%) voters say abortion isn’t an vital issue of their vote selection.
Democratic voters usually tend to say they are going to solely vote for a candidate who shares their view on abortion (31%), however nonetheless most say it is only one of many elements (61%). The identical is true amongst all ladies of reproductive age, with one in three saying they might solely vote for a candidate who shares their view on abortion.
Abortion Is an Vital Voting Concern for Democratic Ladies of Reproductive Age
Whereas abortion might not resonate as a high voting problem for all voters, for a key group of voters – Democratic ladies voters of reproductive age – abortion is among the many most vital voting points.
Abortion ranks as a high voting problem for Democratic and Democratic-leaning ladies of reproductive age (between the ages of 18 and 49), with 21% saying it’s their most vital problem, rating alongside the economic system (23%) and threats to democracy (25%) as their high voting problem.
Half of Democratic ladies of reproductive age, the group that’s most definitely to prioritize abortion as a voting problem, say they are going to solely vote for a candidate who shares their view on abortion (48%), a place they maintain extra typically than another group. An identical share (48%) say abortion is certainly one of many vital elements, whereas few say abortion shouldn’t be an vital issue of their vote selection (4%). This group is essentially in help of abortion entry with 9 in ten (93%) Democratic ladies of reproductive age saying they assume abortion needs to be authorized in all or most instances.
Vice President Harris Has Robust Benefit on Abortion, Former President Trump Leads on Economic system and Immigration
Former President Trump has a transparent benefit over Vice President Harris on who voters belief to do a greater job coping with two key points: economic system and inflation (52% vs. 37%) and immigration and border safety (54% vs. 36%). Alternatively, Vice President Harris has practically the same benefit on the difficulty of abortion (53% vs. 34%). A KFF Tracking Poll carried out earlier this yr when President Biden was nonetheless the Democratic nominee discovered that Biden had a smaller benefit over Trump on abortion (38% v. 29%), an indication of Harris’s relative energy with Democratic voters on this problem.
Neither candidate has a majority of voters saying they belief them extra to do a greater job on any of the opposite key voting points requested about together with Medicare and Social Safety or well being care prices. Nevertheless, V.P. Harris does have the benefit on the difficulty of well being care prices. Former President Trump garners extra belief on the difficulty of the warfare between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, however a considerable share of voters say they belief neither candidate to do a greater job of dealing with this problem.
Each presidential candidates try to garner help from impartial voters and these voters give former President Trump the benefit on their high voting problem – the economic system and inflation. About half of impartial voters (52%) say they belief former President Trump to do a greater job coping with the economic system and inflation, whereas a 3rd (32%) of impartial voters say they belief V.P. Harris to do a greater job. V.P. Harris holds a a lot smaller benefit on their second most vital voting problem – threats to democracy (46% vs. 37%). Throughout the three well being care points, V.P. Harris has a robust benefit over former President Trump amongst impartial voters together with a 36-point benefit on the difficulty of abortion. Alternatively, former President Trump holds a 20-point benefit on the difficulty of immigration and border safety.
Most Voters Anticipate Presidential Election to Have Main Affect on Abortion Coverage
9 in ten (89%) voters say this yr’s elections for president will have an effect on abortion entry within the U.S., together with six in ten (61%) voters who say it would have a “main affect.” One in ten (11%) voters assume the election is not going to have any affect on entry to abortion within the U.S.
Democratic voters are greater than twice as possible as Republican voters (84% vs. 40%) to say the election can have a serious affect on abortion entry. Three-fourths (72%) of girls voters of reproductive age, these most immediately impacted by abortion coverage within the U.S., say the presidential election can have a serious affect on abortion entry, rising to 9 in ten Democratic and Democratic-leaning impartial ladies voters ages 18-49. Alternatively, 4 in ten (43%) Republican and Republican-leaning impartial ladies voters of reproductive age say the identical.
A bigger share of voters now say that this election can have a “main” affect on abortion entry than the share who stated so in March of this yr when President Biden was nonetheless on the poll, maybe reflecting the present president’s uneasiness with the difficulty. At the moment, six in ten (61%) voters assume this election can have a “main” affect, in comparison with about half (51%) in March. A number of the largest modifications have been amongst impartial voters and Democratic voters, with 84% of Democratic voters now saying the presidential election can have a serious affect on abortion entry, up from 71% in March. Equally, 58% of impartial voters say the identical, a 14-percentage level improve from 44% in March. The share of Republican voters who say the election can have a serious affect has stay unchanged.
Democratic and Democratic-leaning impartial ladies voters of reproductive age (ages 18-49) are additionally now putting a better emphasis on this election’s affect on abortion entry. In the latest monitoring ballot, 9 in ten Democratic ladies underneath age 50 now say this yr’s presidential election can have a serious affect on abortion entry within the U.S., in comparison with simply 59% who stated the identical in March of this yr.
Six In Ten Voters Need Roe Protections Restored
Six in ten (61%) voters would like a federal legislation restoring a nationwide proper to abortion, much like what was protected by Roe v. Wade, whereas 4 in ten (39%) would like to depart it as much as the states to resolve whether or not abortion is authorized or not in every state.
Majorities of each Democratic voters and impartial voters would like a federal legislation restoring a nationwide proper to abortion, with practically 9 in ten (87%) Democratic voters and two-thirds (68%) of impartial voters who say so. Seven in ten Republican voters would like leaving abortion legal guidelines as much as the states.
9 in ten Democratic and Democratic-leaning ladies voters who’re of reproductive age help restoring a federal legislation for a nationwide proper to abortion, whereas Republican ladies voters of reproductive age are extra divided with comparable shares saying they would like a federal legislation restoring a nationwide proper to abortion (49%) or leaving it as much as the states (51%).
Almost seven in ten voters who dwell in states the place abortion is legal and obtainable help a federal legislation restoring a nationwide proper to abortion (68%), as do a majority of voters dwelling in states the place abortion is banned or restricted (54%).
That is particularly vital as ten states are set to have voters forged ballots on abortion-related measures within the 2024 election. In these states, 62% of voters say they would like to have a federal legislation restoring a nationwide proper to abortion much like what was protected by Roe.
Because the presidential campaigns proceed, a majority of voters say it is crucial for the 2024 presidential candidates to speak about abortion (84%), entry to contraception (79%), and in vitro fertilization, or IVF, (57%) on the marketing campaign path.
At the least three-quarters of Democratic voters say it’s both “essential” or “considerably vital” for the candidates to speak about every of those points, as do a majority of impartial voters. A majority of Republican voters agree, albeit to a lesser diploma, that it is crucial for the presidential candidates to debate abortion and contraception entry, however lower than half say the identical about IVF.
At the least 9 in ten Democratic and Democratic-leaning ladies of reproductive age say it is crucial for the candidates to debate abortion (97%) and entry to contraception (95%) on the marketing campaign path, and three quarters (76%) say it is crucial for the candidates to speak about IVF.
