AP VoteCast: Hawaii voters sour on state of nation

Voters in Hawaii made their pick for president while holding negative views about the country’s direction, according to an expansive AP survey of the American electorate.

The race between President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden concluded Tuesday as the nation remains in the throes of a global public health crisis and mired in the economic downturn it brought on. AP VoteCast found that 27% of Hawaii voters said the U.S. is on the right track and 73% of voters said it is headed in the wrong direction.

Here’s a snapshot of who voted and what matters to them, based on preliminary results from AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of about 133,000 voters and nonvoters — including 381 voters and 135 nonvoters in Hawaii — conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago.

FACING THE PANDEMIC

The coronavirus pandemic has spread through the U.S. for roughly eight months, killing more than 230,000 Americans. Overall, 10% of voters said the virus in the U.S. is completely or mostly under control, and 28% said it’s somewhat under control. Sixty-two percent of voters think the coronavirus is not at all under control in this country.

ON THE ISSUES

The coronavirus pandemic was top of mind for many voters in Hawaii. Fifty-four percent said it is the most important issue facing the country today.

Voters also considered the economy a major issue, with 27% saying it ranked at the top.

Seven percent named health care, 5% named climate change and 5% named racism.

NATIONAL ECONOMY

Voters were more negative than positive in their assessments of the nation’s economy. Overall, 27% described economic conditions in the U.S. as excellent or good, and 72% called them not so good or poor.

AP created this story automatically using results from AP VoteCast, a survey of the American electorate conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for Fox News, NPR, PBS NewsHour, Univision News, USA Today Network, The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press. The survey of 381 voters in Hawaii was conducted for eight days, concluding as polls closed.