This Issue: Immigration playing a major role as voters decide who to vote for

Fri, Oct. 21^th

Early voting has started in more than a dozen states, and while the economy and inflation continue to be the top issues for most voters, immigration and the ongoing border crisis are also high on their minds.

A new Harvard CAPS Harris poll that talked to more than 2,000 registered voters last week found that immigration ranks third for voters. 23% of voters said that immigration is the top issue facing the country, up 2% from previous polling. In fact, concerns over immigration and the border crisis ranked slightly above crime, which has been a major theme for GOP candidates.

Poll respondents also gave the Biden Administration very poor marks on its handling of immigration. Only 38% of voters approve of the administration's handling of immigration, down from 56% in February of 2021. In fact, support for the administration's immigration policies have been in a downward spiral ever since Biden took office. Of all the issues polled, only Pres. Biden's handling of inflation ranked worse with the registered voters.

When asked specifically about immigration, 59% of respondents said that immigration was a "very important" voting issue, 31% said it was "somewhat important", and only 9% said it was "unimportant."

The administration's handling of the border crisis is likely to have a major impact in deciding who to vote for. 46% of voters said that their immigration concerns makes it more likely that they'll vote for a Republican compared to just 35% who said it makes it more likely that they'll vote for a Democrat.

The Harvard CAPS Harris poll results are generally in line with both a New York Times Sienna poll and the CBS Battleground Tracker poll taken over the same period.

The New York Times-Sienna poll found that immigration ranks third among the top concerns for voters. Only the economy and inflation ranked higher. While the issue ranked much lower for voters who identify as Democrats, it ranked third among Republicans and tied for fourth among Independents.

And in the most recent CBS Battleground Tracker poll, 90% of voters said that immigration played or will play a role in their decision, ranking it fifth among other issues. Only the economy, inflation, crime, and voting rights ranked higher.

Chris Chmielenski
NumbersUSA Deputy Director

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