As concerns about the state of the economy and inflation persist, about eight in ten registered voters (81%) say the economy will be very important to their vote in the 2024 presidential election.
Although the economy is the top issue for voters, a large majority (69%) cite at least five of the ten issues asked about in the poll as being very important to their vote.
There are big differences between voters who support Harris and those who support Trump on these issues.
Among Trump supporters, the economy (93%), immigration (82%) and violent crime (76%) are the top concerns. Only 18% of Trump supporters say racial and ethnic inequality is very important. And even fewer say climate change is very important (11%).
For Harris supporters, health care issues (76%) and Supreme Court nominations (73%) are of the utmost importance. Large majorities also cite the economy (68%) and abortion (67%) as very important factors in their vote in the election.
Most voters cite several issues as being very important to their vote
Most voters cite multiple issues as very important to their vote in November. Very few – just 5% – say any or no issues are very important.
Majorities of both Harris (71%) and Trump (69%) supporters say at least five of the 10 issues included in the survey are very important to their vote.
Harris supporters are more likely than Trump supporters to say most of the issues discussed are very important. About a third of Harris supporters (32%) say at least eight of the 10 issues are very important, compared with 17% of Trump supporters.
The main voting issues: 2020 versus 2024
While the The economy has long been a major issue for voters – and it continues to be so today – other issues have become increasingly important to voters over the past four years.
Immigration
About six in ten voters (61%) now say immigration is very important to their vote – a 9 percentage point increase from the 2020 presidential election and 13 points higher than in the 2022 general election.
Immigration is now a much more important issue for Republican voters in particular: 82% of Trump supporters say it is very important to their vote in the 2024 election, up 21 points from 2020.
About four in ten Harris supporters (39%) say immigration is very important to their vote. That’s 8 points higher than the share of Democratic congressional supporters who said this in 2022, but lower than the 46% of Biden supporters who cited immigration as very important four years ago.
Abortion
In August 2020, less than half of voters (40%) said abortion was a very important issue in their vote. At the time, Trump voters (46%) were more likely than Biden voters (35%) to say the issue was very important.
Following the The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. WadeViews about the importance of abortion as an election issue have shifted. Today, 67% of Harris supporters say the issue is very important, nearly double the share of Biden voters who said this four years ago, but slightly lower than the share of Democratic voters who said this in 2022 (74%). And about a third of Trump supporters (35%) now say abortion is very important to their vote, down 11 percentage points from 2020.
Trust in Harris and Trump on the most important issues
Voters have more confidence in Trump than Harris on economic, immigration and foreign policy. Half or more of voters say they have at least some confidence in Trump to make good decisions on these issues, while a smaller share (45% each) say the same about Harris.
In contrast, voters trust Harris more than Trump to make good decisions on abortion policy and to effectively address issues related to race. Just over half of voters trust Harris on these issues, while 44% trust Trump on these same issues.
Trump has a slight lead over Harris on handling law enforcement and criminal justice issues (51% for Trump, 47% for Harris). Voters have equal confidence in Harris and Trump to select good Supreme Court nominees (50% each).
Less than half of voters say they have a great deal or a fair amount of confidence in either candidate to bring the country together (41% trust Harris, 36% trust Trump). And voters express relatively little confidence in Trump (37%) or Harris (32%) to reduce the influence of money in politics.
How confidence in candidates on issues has changed since Biden left the race
Since Biden withdrew from the presidential race in JulyThere has been a shift in voters’ confidence in candidates to solve the problems facing the country.
Abortion Policy
In July, 48% of voters trusted Biden to make good decisions on abortion. Today, 55% of voters trust Harris to do the same.
Harris currently has an 11-point lead over Trump in voter confidence in her ability to make decisions on abortion policy.
Immigration policy
Voters also express greater confidence in Harris to make sound decisions on immigration policy than they did in Biden before he dropped out of the race. Today, 45% of voters trust Harris on this issue; in July, 35% said the same of Biden.
Although Trump’s advantage over Harris on immigration policy is less pronounced than it was over Biden, he still has a 7-point lead. Voters are just as confident in his ability to make sound decisions on immigration policy as they were in July (52%).
Foreign and economic policies
Harris has also gained confidence over Biden in voters’ ability to make good decisions on foreign and economic policy. Currently, 45% of voters trust Harris on each of those issues.
In July, 39% of respondents trusted Biden to make good decisions on foreign policy, while a similar share (40%) trusted him on economic policy.
Trump has an edge over Harris on both issues, though both are somewhat narrower than the advantage he had over Biden on those issues in July.