Ahead of Election Day, Most Voters Are Hopeful, Worried, or Determined

As Election Day quickly approaches, voters have a mixed bag of emotions. In recent polling of registered voters nationwide, 32% of voters say they feel “hopeful” about this November’s elections. Worried (24%) and determined (23%) also stand out as top emotions.

The voters who feel most “hopeful” about the elections include voters over the age of 65 (39%) and white women (35%). When it comes to partisanship, self-identified Democrats and self-identified Republicans are equally hopeful (34%).

However, young voters and Independents are more negative. Among voters ages 18-34, 38% say they feel exhausted, and 31% say they feel frustrated. Among self-identified Independents, 33% say they feel frustrated, and 29% say they feel exhausted.

Vote motivation also plays a clear role in how voters are viewing these elections. 34% of voters who rate their motivation to vote as a “10” say they feel hopeful. Just 21% of voters who rate their motivation a 9 or less feel the same. Instead, these lower-motivation voters are more likely to feel frustrated (34%) and exhausted (33%).