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See exit poll results for the 2024 presidential election: Democracy, economy top issues
Percentages may change throughout the night.
Harris voters more confident the election will be conducted fairly than Trump voters
Early exit polls show the state of democracy and the economy are the top issues for 2024 voters.
The economy is the top issue for Trump voters, followed by immigration. And democracy is the top concern for the Harris voters, followed by abortion — echoing some of the themes we’ve seen throughout the campaign.
Most on each side are scared, not just concerned, if the other side wins, and while most voters express confidence this election is being conducted fairly and accurately, Harris voters are more confident than Trump voters are.
About 7 in 10 voters (majorities on both sides) expect there to be violence related to the results of the presidential election.
This is the first time in its history – going back to the 1970s – that the exit poll has asked voters about the prospect of violence as it relates specifically to a U.S. presidential election.
There is discontent with the state of the country — roughly 7 in 10 are dissatisfied or angry about the way things are going — something that has long been the case. While this would not be a particularly favorable environment for an incumbent party, we saw a similar level of discontent during the 2022 midterms with a competitive race for control of Congress.
Voters’ views of the nation’s economy are more negative than they were in 2020 — despite the nation being in the throes of the COVID pandemic at the time. Trump voters overwhelmingly view today’s economy as negative, while more Harris voters think it is in good shape.
On the question of whether you are better off than you were four years ago, nationally and across the battlegrounds, more voters say they are financially worse off than better.
The issue of abortion and gender
This is the first presidential election in post-Roe America and most voters want abortion mostly legal. We see this nationally and across the battleground states.
Although current exit polls show that abortion does not rise to be a top issue for voters. Among women nationally, democracy and the economy do outrank the issue of abortion.
Candidate qualities: What were voters looking for?
The ability to lead was the quality voters were most looking for, followed by good judgment, someone who can bring needed change, and someone who cares about them.
Most made up their minds long ago, but a few decided late
These early exit polls show that a big majority of voters decided on their candidate long ago — roughly 8 in 10 before September.
A smaller number of voters decided in the last week — currently in the single digits. More of these voters identify as independent than with either political party. And they tend to be a bit younger than the electorate overall.
They profile similarly to “infrequent voters ” — those who did not vote in 2020. About 1 in 10 voters in this electorate report having not voted in 2020.
CBS News exit polls are surveys of thousands of voters across the country, including in-person interviews with Election Day voters, interviews with early voters at early voting locations and phone interviews are conducted to measure the views of those who cast their votes by mail. The surveys were conducted by Edison Research on behalf of the National Election Pool.
What to know about Nevada
Nevada, with an economy largely based around tourism and hospitality surrounding Las Vegas, is home to a significant working class population. Both Trump and Harris announced no-tax-on-tips policies in Nevada earlier this year, underscoring the dominance of service industry workers in the Silver State.
Although a Republican presidential candidate hasn’t won Nevada since 2004, Democrats’ margin of victory has decreased in recent years. The Silver State’s economy, dependent on the hospitality industry, was among the most impacted by pandemic closures in 2020, leading to a much slower recovery than in other states, and spurring frustration with Democrat-led policies.
In 2022, Republicans flipped the governor’s mansion, and the state was home to the closest Senate race in the country, suggesting that in 2024, it could be seriously in play for Republicans even at the presidential level. But Nevada, a state with high population turnover, has historically posed polling difficulties. And the largest voting bloc — more than 30% of voters — are registered as nonpartisan in 2024.
How Nevada voted in 2016 and 2020
All but two counties backed Trump in the last election — but those two Democrat-voting counties, home to Las Vegas and Reno, make up the bulk of the state’s population. President Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 election by more than 33,000 votes, and Hillary Clinton won the state in 2016, besting Trump by just over 27,000 votes.
Major races in Nevada
Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen and Republican Sam Brown are facing off in a key Senate race in Nevada as Democrats fight to hold onto control of the chamber. Brown, a 40-year-old businessman and former Army captain who lost the 2022 Republican Senate primary, is aiming to unseat Rosen in her first reelection bid and deliver the GOP its first Senate seat win in the Silver State since 2012.
Anchor and Emmy Award-winning journalist Chauncy Glover has died unexpectedly at the age of 39.
Chauncy joined the KCAL News Anchor Team in October 2023 after spending eight years in Houston as the first black male main anchor at KTRK.
For the past year, he has co-anchored the 5 and 11 p.m. newscasts with Pat Harvey and shared the desk with Suzie Suh at KCAL News at 8 and 10 p.m.
KCAL News
While his love for journalism caught him at an early age, Chauncy has always focused on the communities he served in, whether it was through his storytelling or his outreach.
“We, Sherry and Robert Glover, along with Chauncy’s beloved family, are devastated by the unimaginable loss of our beloved Chauncy,” the Glover family wrote in a statement. “He was more than a son and brother—he was a beacon of light in our lives and a true hero to his community.”
It was this passion as a true Southern gentleman that inspired Chauncy to create a mentorship program while working for WDIV in Detroit. After witnessing a teenager die on the streets, he started “The Chauncy Glover Project” as a hands-on, extensive mentoring program that helped transform teenage boys into upstanding gentlemen.
KCAL News
The program focuses on dressing for success, manhood, etiquette, college readiness, tutoring, public speaking, community service and more. The CGP Gents and Young Gents are 7-12th graders who Chauncy and other mentors met with twice a month for empowerment sessions and enrichment outings.
Chauncy relocated the program to Houston after he moved there to anchor at KTRK. CGP has proudly sent more than 350 boys of color to college and has mentored more than 1,000 young men.
“Chauncy’s compassion and dedication to helping others, especially through the Chauncy Glover Project, changed countless lives and inspired so many young men to pursue their dreams,” his family wrote. “His talent, warmth, and vision left an imprint on everyone who knew him, and the world is dimmer without him.”
While the three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist started his professional career with WTVM News in Columbus, Georgia, the news bug bit him at an early age. When he was just 5, Chauncy’s dad built him a mini anchor desk for the newscasts he would perform for his family every Sunday after church in his hometown of Athens, Alabama.
KCAL News
Chauncy worked in Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Texas before joining KCAL in California.
Chauncy also had a passion for theater, having acted in several national and Off-Broadway plays. One of his proudest moments came when he was asked to honor the late civil rights activist Rosa Parks by singing at her funeral in Montgomery, Alabama.
Chauncy traveled across the country as a motivational speaker, hoping to inspire the next generation of journalists.
“While we grieve this profound loss, we are comforted by the outpouring of love and memories shared by those who knew Chauncy as the passionate, gifted soul he was,” the family wrote. “We kindly ask for privacy as we mourn and honor his incredible legacy. He was taken from us far too soon, but his impact will be felt forever.”
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