NEW YORK, Nov 6 — Democrat Kamala Harris faced Republican Donald Trump yesterday in the US presidential election, after the two candidates vied for support by staking positions on issues including abortion, the economy and foreign policy.

Following are preliminary results from an exit poll conducted by Edison Research. Results will be updated as additional poll responses are gathered.

  • 44 per cent of voters nationwide said they had a favourable view of Trump, compared to 46 per cent who said so in Edison Research’s 2020 exit poll. 54 per cent viewed him unfavourably, compared to 52 per cent in 2020.
  • 48 per cent of voters nationwide said they had a favourable view of Harris, compared to 52 per cent who said the same of Biden in Edison Research’s 2020 exit poll. 50 per cent viewed her unfavourably, compared to 46 per cent who viewed Biden that way in 2020.
  • 31 per cent of voters nationwide said the economy mattered most in deciding how to vote in the presidential election. 11 per cent said immigration, 14 per cent abortion, 34 per cent the state of democracy, 4 per cent foreign policy.
  • 45 per cent of voters nationwide said their family’s financial situation was worse off than it was four years ago, compared to 20 per cent who said so in Edison Research’s 2020 exit poll. 24 per cent said they were better off than they were four years ago, compared to 41 per cent in 2020. 31 per cent said their financial situation was unchanged.
  • 51 per cent of voters nationwide said they trust Trump more to handle the economy. 47 per cent said they trust Harris more.
  • 39 per cent of voters nationwide said most undocumented immigrants in the United States should be deported to the countries they came from. 57 per cent said they should be offered a chance to apply for legal status.
  • 51 per cent of voters nationwide said they trust Harris more to handle the issue of abortion. 44 per cent said they trust Trump more.
  • 31 per cent of voters nationwide said US support for Israel is too strong. 30 per cent said it’s not strong enough and 31 per cent said it’s about right.
  • 73 per cent of voters nationwide said they think democracy in the US is threatened. 25 per cent said it is secure.
  • 57 per cent of voters nationwide said they didn’t have a college degree, compared to 59 per cent in Edison Research’s 2020 exit poll. 43 per cent had a degree, compared to 41 per cent in 2020.
  • 53 per cent of voters nationwide were women, compared to 52 per cent in Edison Research’s 2020 exit poll. 47 per cent were men, compared to 48 per cent in 2020.
  • 71 per cent of voters nationwide were white, compared to 67 per cent in Edison Research’s 2020 exit poll. 11 per cent were Black, compared to 13 per cent in 2020. 12 per cent were Hispanic, compared to 13 per cent in 2020.
  • 34 per cent of voters nationwide were white men, compared to 35 per cent in Edison Research’s 2020 exit poll. 37 per cent were white women, compared to 32 per cent in 2020.
  • 5 per cent of voters nationwide were Black men, compared to 4 per cent in 2020. 7 per cent were Black women, compared to 8 per cent in 2020.
  • 6 per cent of voters nationwide were Hispanic men, compared to 5 per cent in 2020. 6 per cent were Hispanic women, compared to 8 per cent in 2020.

Exit polling reflects just a slice of the tens of million of people who have voted, both before and on Election Day, and the preliminary results are subject to change through the course of the night as more people are surveyed.

National exit-poll results provide an important window into the thinking of the nation, but may not directly align with the seven battleground states expected to decide the presidential election.

Exit polls capture variations among turnout in various demographic groups, such as men vs. women voters or college-educated vs. non-college-educated voters, and can provide insights into how turnout has changed from past elections.

One key advantage of exit polls is all the people surveyed, by definition, are people who cast ballots in this election. — Reuters