[US Midterm Elections] 7 out of 10 Voters Express "Dissatisfaction with US Situation" in Exit Polls

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] In the November 8 midterm elections, which serve as a significant midterm evaluation of U.S. President Joe Biden's administration, more than 7 out of 10 voters expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the United States. Nearly half of the respondents said that President Biden's policies are harming the country.

On the 8th (local time), CNN cited exit polls conducted with Edison Research and others, reporting that voters this year generally expressed dissatisfaction with the nation's condition and held negative views of President Biden. More than 7 out of 10 said they were either dissatisfied with the state of the country (39%) or, beyond dissatisfaction, were angry (34%).

President Biden's approval rating stood at 45%, similar to major pre-election polls. This is also the same approval rating as then-President Donald Trump had during the 2018 midterm elections.

Additionally, nearly half of the voters, 46%, responded that most of President Biden's policies are harming the country. Only about 36% said his policies were helpful. Sixteen percent said there was no difference.

However, unlike four years ago when two-thirds of voters said their vote was because of then-President Trump, this time nearly half (48%) said their vote was not because of President Biden. Only 18% of voters said they voted in this midterm election to support President Biden. The percentage of those who voted to express opposition to President Biden was 32%, far exceeding the support responses.

In this election, voters identified inflation (32%) as the most important issue. This was followed by abortion (27%), crime (12%), gun policy (12%), and immigration (10%).

Voters' responses regarding the U.S. economy were generally bleak. Only about one-quarter described the current state positively. The rest expressed negative views: 36% said it was not good, and 39% said it was poor. This is a significant drop from the 2018 midterm election survey, where 68% of voters said the economic situation was good.

Also, nearly half of the voters, 46%, said their household financial situation had worsened over the past two years. Only 18% said it had improved. More than three-quarters of respondents said they had experienced difficulties over the past year due to inflation.

Meanwhile, in the midterm elections held as President Biden approaches the midpoint of his term, 35 of the 100 Senate seats and all 435 House of Representatives seats are up for election. The outline of the election results is expected to be revealed around midnight on the day (2 p.m. Korean time on the 7th).