Only 24% of Trump supporters view the coronavirus outbreak as a ‘very important’ voting issue

Registered voters in the United States continue to rate the economy, health care and Supreme Court appointments as very important voting issues. But those who support Donald Trump and Joe Biden differ widely on the importance of several issues – and the gap over the importance of COVID-19 has widened considerably since August. About eight-in-ten Biden supporters (82%) say the coronavirus will be very important to their vote, compared with just 24% of Trump supporters.

• Fewer mothers and fathers in U.S. are working due to COVID-19 downturn; those at work have cut hours
• See all COVID-19 research

Election night marks the end of one phase of campaign 2020 – and the start of another

Over the years, Americans have gotten used to their election nights coming off like a well-produced game show, with the big reveal coming before bedtime. In truth, elections have never been quite as simple or straightforward as they appeared. Here’s our guide to what happens after the polls close on election night, from how and when votes are cast and counted to the roles of the electors and Congress.

• Key facts about Black eligible voters in 2020 battleground states
• Democrats’ advantage over Republicans among Florida registered voters has shrunk since 2016
• See all Election 2020 research

Americans plan to follow election returns closely; Biden supporters more confident their news sources will make right call

For the first time since the coronavirus outbreak began in earnest in the U.S., Americans are following the 2020 presidential election as closely as the pandemic. And amid questions over how mail-in ballot counting could impact the timing of results, Americans plan to tune in closely to election night returns. Overall, three-quarters of U.S. adults say they are paying “very” or “fairly” close attention to news about the 2020 presidential candidates. That is up from 66% just a month ago.

• Most Americans feel worn out by the volume of election coverage
• See more from our American News Pathways project

Large shares of voters plan to vote a straight party ticket for president, Senate and House

In an era of increasing partisanship, split-ticket voting continues to be rare in U.S. politics. With control of the Senate at stake on Nov. 3, just 4% of registered voters in states with a Senate contest say they will support Donald Trump or Joe Biden and a Senate candidate from the opposing party. The same small share (4%) plan to split their ticket in voting for the House.

• Most Senate elections reflect states’ presidential votes

Decoded: Urban, suburban or rural? Americans’ perceptions of their own community type differ by party

Even when they live in similar communities, Democrats are more likely to describe those communities as urban, while Republicans are more likely to describe them as rural.

8 key findings about Catholics and abortion ahead of Senate vote on Amy Coney Barrett

Foreign policy experts in the U.S. have much different views about threats to the country than the general public

Natural gas viewed more positively than other fossil fuels across 20 global publics

8 facts about Americans and Instagram

From our research