Anxiety and frustration among Americans regarding the presidential election

2024-10-31 16:15:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Most Americans are feeling a lot of emotions in the run-up to the November 5 presidential election, but excitement isn't one of them. A new poll by the Associated Press and the NORC Public Affairs Research Center (AP-NPRC) finds that about 7 in 10 Americans say they feel anxious or nervous about the 2024 presidential campaign, and a a similar number say they are interested in them.

Only about a third say they feel enthusiastic.

The final week of the 2024 presidential race is generally associated with a widespread sense of uncertainty. The race is tight nationally and in key states that could determine the outcome of the election, according to recent polls, neither Democrat Kamala Harris nor Republican Donald Trump has a clear advantage.

Meanwhile, the candidates have offered closing arguments that are in stark contrast to each other. Harris, a Democrat, argues that Mr. Trump is focused on revenge and self-interest, while Trump, a Republican, referred to Ms. Harris at a rally on Sunday night as "an incompetent who has ruined everything."

Some groups of voters are even more worried than they were four years ago, even though that election took place in the middle of a deadly pandemic.

In 2020, an AP-NORC poll concluded that about two-thirds of Americans were worried about the election. But for those who support one side or the other, the anxiety is a little higher. About 8 in 10 Democrats say they feel anxious this cycle, a number slightly higher than about three-quarters in the last election. About two-thirds of Republicans are concerned, a moderate increase from about 6 in 10 in 2020.

While among independents, this feeling has not changed significantly and they feel less worried than Democrats or Republicans. About half say they feel anxious, a similar level to 2020.

Other emotions have intensified compared to past election cycles, including the level of enthusiasm. About a third of Americans say they feel enthusiastic about the 2024 campaign, up from about a quarter in 2016. But most Americans say they are not enthusiastic about this year's race.

However, one factor has remained constant: Americans' level of disillusionment with the campaign. Roughly 7 in 10 Americans describe their emotional state as disappointed, a level similar to 2020. Yet for those Americans, there is a light at the end of the tunnel: in a few days, the election will be over./ VOA