The CBS News national exit polls provide information on voter demographics, candidate favorability, and key issues in the 2024 presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. One notable group is the “double haters,” comprising 8% of voters who have an unfavorable view of both candidates but are currently leaning towards Trump. Independent voters in Georgia are favoring Trump, while those in North Carolina are evenly split between Harris and Trump. “Infrequent voters,” who did not vote in the 2020 election, are divided between Harris and Trump nationally, with variations in key states like Michigan.
In Michigan, there is a reversal from 2020 regarding age demographics, with younger voters narrowly supporting Trump and older voters leaning towards Harris. The gender gap is similar to 2020, with men favoring Trump and women favoring Harris. In North Carolina, most voters made their decisions early in the campaign, with a small percentage deciding in the last week and favoring Harris. In Georgia, Black voters continue to support Harris at high levels, while Trump is supported by White voters, especially those without a college degree.
The top issues for voters in 2024 are the state of democracy and the economy, with Trump voters prioritizing the economy and immigration, and Harris voters concerned about democracy and abortion. Both sides express concerns about potential violence related to the election results, with Harris voters more confident in the fairness of the election than Trump voters. Overall, there is dissatisfaction with the country’s direction, with negative perceptions of the economy compared to 2020. Most voters feel they are financially worse off than four years ago.
Abortion, as a newly prominent issue in the post-Roe America, is favored to be mostly legal by voters nationally and in battleground states, though it is not a top priority for most voters. Women prioritize democracy and the economy over abortion. When considering candidate qualities, voters prioritize leadership ability, good judgment, bringing needed change, and caring for constituents. While most voters made up their minds early in the campaign, there is a small percentage who decided in the last week, typically younger and more independent in their political identification. CBS News exit polls, conducted by Edison Research, provide crucial insights into the 2024 election landscape.
