Americans Cite Economy As Most Important Election Issue – Poll

WASHINGTON, Oct 9 (Bernama-Sputnik) -- Americans cite the economy as the most important of 22 issues in influencing their presidential vote, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday, reported Sputnik.  

Just over half of the poll’s respondents, 52 per cent, said the economy had an “extremely important” influence on their vote – the highest percentage since the 55 per cent reported during the global financial crisis in October 2008. Additionally, 38 per cent of respondents described the economy as having a “very important” influence on their vote.

Fifty-four per cent of respondents saw Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as more equipped than his Democratic rival Kamala Harris to handle the economy. Republican or Republican-leaning respondents were also much more likely to rate the economy as “extremely important” (66 per cent) than their Democratic counterparts, (36 per cent).

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The majority of respondents also saw Trump as more equipped to handle immigration (54 per cent) and foreign affairs (52 per cent), while most saw Harris as more equipped to handle climate change (61 per cent), abortion (56 per cent), and healthcare (54 per cent). Respondents were evenly divided regarding gun policy.

-- BERNAMA-SPUTNIK