Exit polls: Inflation, abortion rights drive voters to polls

Sixty percent of voters say abortion should be legal rather than illegal in all or most cases, compared to 36% who disagree, according to preliminary exit poll results. This is a 9% rise in the share of voters saying it should be legal from 2020.

Among voters, there is a gender gap when it comes to the issue of abortion, with 32% of women calling it their top issue compared to 21% of men. Sixty-two percent of women favor legal abortion, as do 58% of men.

More voters also are dissatisfied or angry about the U.S. Supreme Court ruling to eliminating the constitutional right to abortion than are satisfied or enthusiastic about it, at 60% to 37%.

More voters trust the Democratic Party over the Republican Party when it comes to handling abortion at 52% to 42%.

According to preliminary results, voters trust the Republican Party over the Democratic Party to handle inflation by a moderate 8-point margin of 52% to 44%.

In large part given economic concerns, President Joe Biden is underwater in job approval with 45% approving of the way he’s handling his job as president, while 54% disapprove.

That’s not far from the lowest presidential approval rating in midterm exit polls since 1982, George W. Bush’s 43% in 2006.

Preliminary results from the national exit poll show broad economic discontent and – relatedly – dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden’s performance. Both historically have spelled trouble for the incumbent president’s party.

According to preliminary results, 32% of voters over all called inflation the single most important issue in their vote. Abortion is a close second, at 27%, followed by crime, immigration and gun policy.

With inflation at a 40-year high, 75% say the national economy is in bad shape, up 23 points from two years ago and 44 points from four years ago. Forty-six percent said their own finances are worse now than two years ago.

Forty-nine percent of registered voters favored the Republican in their congressional district and 48% preferred the Democrat. Among likely voters, 50% preferred the Republican while 48% the Democrat, according to recent polling.

Compared to the last ABC News/Washington post poll before the 2018 midterm elections, that is retreat from a 7% Democratic advantage of 50% to 43% among registered voters.

President Joe Biden has a 41% approval rating among all adults, which is in line with former President Donald Trump's approval rating before the 2018 midterm elections.