Abortion has overtaken immigration as the second most important issue for voters ahead of the 2024 election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, according to a Newsweek poll.
Over the past 16 months, a series of polls conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies in advance of the November 5 election asked participants how likely they were to vote in the November 2024 presidential election. “Which question gives you the highest score? You can select up to three.”
Only four of the 24 issues were repeatedly selected by more than two in five respondents: the economy, abortion, immigration, and health care.
The economy has been cited as the most important election issue for voters in every survey conducted since July 2023, regularly cited by around 60 percent of respondents.
Abortion and immigration were both competing for second place in the poll overall, but abortion was the most popular issue, surpassing immigration in recent months.
In the first poll in July 2023, 21 percent of respondents cited abortion as a major issue, and in the latest poll in October 2024, 38 percent of respondents cited it as a major issue. By contrast, 30 percent cited immigration as a major issue. The first survey in July 2023 had 36 percent of respondents responding, and the most recent survey in October 2024 had 36 percent of respondents responding.
Immigration is the second most cited issue for men, and abortion consistently ranks as the second most important issue for women.
This article is part of Newsweek’s Tracker poll, in which Americans are asked about topics such as abortion, immigration and the war in Ukraine over the past 16 months.
This data is based on public opinion polling commissioned by Newsweek and conducted exclusively by Redfield & Wilton Strategies between July 2023 and October 2024. A total of 19 polls were conducted, cumulatively asking 34,800 voters about the key issues in the 2024 election.
Photo illustration: Newsweek/Getty
As the 2024 election approaches, the most pressing concerns for voters will be at the center of Trump and Harris’ campaigns. Widespread polling shows the race remains close and could ultimately come down to just a few thousand votes in key battleground states such as Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Arizona.
“In such a hotly contested political climate, neither candidate is willing to make a difference on any issue, whether it’s the economy, reproductive rights, immigration, democracy, or the rule of law,” said Cary Collanese, a political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania. But we cannot afford to compromise.” he told Newsweek magazine.
Health care is identified as a major issue for about one in three voters each month. It was in second place in a poll conducted in 2023, but in the last few polls in 2024, it was in fourth place.
Housing, the environment, taxes, and government spending are at the bottom of the list, with 10 to 20 percent of poll respondents saying these are their top concerns.
Other concerns that saw slight declines across the poll included foreign policy, coronavirus, and police and crime.
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ attempts to diminish the importance of surging immigration were initially successful but ultimately failed, with immigration clearly ranked second in importance earlier this year. It rose to fourth place over the summer and has since rebounded to virtually parity with abortion,” Philip Van Sheltinga, director of research at Redfield & Wilton Strategies, told Newsweek. Ta.
“The Harris campaign has had some success in highlighting the issue of abortion, especially among women and young voters. But abortion is currently the most important issue to Harris voters, even more so than the economy. Although slightly ahead, the advantage in this issue is not fully registered for the rest of the electorate and the unstable voters who will decide this election. ”
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris debate for the first time during the presidential campaign at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 2024. Newsweek has partnered with the polling group Redfield… Donald Trump and Kamala Harris debate for the first time during the presidential campaign at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 2024. Newsweek partnered with polling organization Redfield & Wilton Strategies to identify the most important issues that will influence voter behavior in the lead-up to November’s election. Other Win McNamee/Getty Images
More voters consider abortion issue
Harris and Trump took opposing views on abortion during the campaign.
Harris and the Democratic Party have made abortion rights and reproductive health care a key campaign promise.
During a recent appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Harris told host Alex Cooper that the government shouldn’t be telling women about their reproductive rights.
“What’s so outrageous about this is that there are a lot of people in these state capitals who want to know what’s in your best interest more than you know what’s in their best interests. “They’re writing decisions like this because they somehow decided they were in a better position to tell them what was in their own best interest,” Harris said.
President Trump, on the other hand, has largely avoided the topic. He said he wants access to abortion to remain determined by individual states and told the Supreme Court justices who voted to repeal the landmark abortion bill in June 2022. He nominated three conservative justices and repeatedly took credit for reversing Roe v. Wade. He denied that he would sign a national abortion ban upon his return to the White House.
Reproductive rights issues will also be on the agenda in November in 10 states, including states where abortion is largely banned after Roe v. Wade.
The most recent poll, conducted in October, found that 20% of Trump supporters in 2024 see abortion as a key issue in the election, compared to 58% of Harris supporters.
Silvina Alarcón, political director of the abortion rights nonprofit Reproductive Freedom for All, told Barron’s: “We decide whether to start or grow a family, when to start a family, and when to decide.” “We should. This issue is important to voters and to Trump and MAGA Republicans.” “Banning abortion threatens the lives and well-being of voters and will be a top concern for voters heading to the ballot box.”
“The contrast between the two sides and what they intend to do once they take office is clear.”
Economy remains a ‘prominent problem’
The poll shows economic concerns remain paramount to voters of all ages, male and female, and whether they plan to support Harris or Trump in November. are.
Christopher Bolick, a political science professor and director of the polling institute at Muhlenberg College Public Opinion Research Institute in Pennsylvania, said the economy is “always one of the most important issues” to Americans in elections. , said it was the best election result in decades. The level of inflation has reinforced these concerns.
Trump has positioned himself as the most trusted candidate to handle economic issues, recalling the strong economy during his presidency.
“Trump is an easy sell on this issue, blaming the current administration and proposing a change of direction,” Borick told Barron’s.
“Harris will promote the strong economic performance achieved during her tenure as vice president, including lower inflation, while implementing new economic policies that include targeted tax cuts and subsidies to help the middle class acquire wealth. As a result of inflationary pressures, we had to overcome a more difficult situation.
Harris can take solace in the fact that the economy is improving significantly heading into the election.
Gasoline prices have fallen and inflation fell to 2.5% in August, the lowest level in three years. The current unemployment rate has also fallen to near historic lows of 4.1 percent, and the 254,000 jobs added to the labor market in September was much higher than expected.
The poll results also highlight generational differences in prioritizing issues.
Immigration appears to be more important to older voters. About a quarter of Gen Z (ages 18-26) and Millennials (ages 27-42) list this issue as one of their main issues, compared to a quarter of Generation Z (ages 59-75). Almost half cite this problem regularly.
Approximately one-fifth to one-quarter of Gen Z and Millennial voters consistently list housing as a top election issue. By contrast, polls show that only about 1 in 10 boomers will consider housing when voting in November.
