Two issues leading voter concerns according to poll
Immigration and inflation are the issues most concerning voters on the path to the upcoming U.S. presidential election in November. According to a Harvard CAPS-Harris poll released this Monday.
Thirty-six percent of the 2,111 registered voters surveyed said the biggest problem facing the country right now is immigration. Another 33% said the same about inflation and rising prices.
“Immigration continues to rise as an issue worrying voters, who are sending a clear message in favor of greater border protection,” commented Mark Penn, one of the directors of the poll, which was conducted on March 20 and 21.
Twenty-one percent of respondents said immigration remains the issue that affects them personally the most, which has risen four percentage points since last month’s poll.
In the first six months of fiscal year 2024, Border Patrol has made 1.5 million detentions of undocumented migrants, compared to 1.1 million in the same period of fiscal year 2023.
President Joe Biden, who is seeking re-election, will face former President Donald Trump (2017-2021) at the polls. Trump is the Republican Party’s candidate despite facing four criminal cases.
Meanwhile, inflation “remains an important issue, though economic concerns have eased slightly,” according to Penn. “These concerns clearly favor Republicans at this point.”
Thirty-eight percent of respondents said inflation remains the issue that affects them personally the most, down three percentage points from the same poll in February.
The Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in February after a 0.3% increase in January, and inflation over the 12 months through February was 3.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
With information from News Agency EFE
