Trump Favored on Economy, Harris Leads on Abortion: Poll

A new poll released on Tuesday of the results of the 2024 presidential election found respondents say former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, is stronger on the economy, while Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s nominee, leads voters on abortion issues.

AP VoteCast, a comprehensive survey of over 110,000 voters nationwide, revealed a nation steeped in pessimism and eager for change as Americans weighed a stark choice between the two candidates.

Trump Leads Harris on Economy

Trump held an edge over Harris on handling the economy and immigration, according to the survey.

Trump argued that tariffs on both rivals and allies, along with increased oil production, would boost the economy. Harris countered that his tariff policies would drive up inflation, advocating instead for tax breaks for parents, support for new homebuyers and assistance for startup founders as more effective economic solutions.

Around 40 percent of voters identified the economy and jobs as the nation’s top issue, with lingering frustration over 2022’s inflation spike reflected in persistently high costs for groceries, housing and gasoline.

About six in 10 voters rated the economy as “not so good” or “poor,” mirroring sentiments from four years ago, when the economy was propped up by trillions in government aid during the pandemic. As the nation emerged from the crisis, inflation surged, driven by supply shortages and boosted consumer demand fueled by further government relief. By 2022, inflation was exacerbated by rising food and energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

AP VoteCast found the candidates closely matched on the issue of who would better manage taxes.

Harris Leads Trump on Abortion

On abortion, Harris was perceived as the stronger candidate in the poll. Throughout her campaign, she framed access to abortion and women’s healthcare as a fundamental freedom, while Trump argued the issue should be left to individual states following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Similarly, a poll conducted on behalf of Newsweek last month found more than half of Americans (53 percent) say they lean towards the Democratic position on abortion, compared to 36 percent who lean towards the Republican position.

Voters Want Change

A shared dissatisfaction with the status quo united voters, with roughly 8 in 10 expressing a desire for at least “substantial change” in how the country is run—including about one-quarter calling for a complete overhaul. However, opinions on what that change should entail remain deeply divided.

Around 70 percent of voters believe the country is on the wrong track. Trump has pledged a return to the policies of his White House tenure as the solution, while Harris emphasized her forward-looking approach and policies aimed at shaping the future.

The AP VoteCast survey of more than 110,000 voters was conducted for eight days. The margin of sampling error for voters was estimated to be plus or minus 0.4 percentage points.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.

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