Republicans, Democrats continue to differ sharply on voting access
Six-in-ten Americans say any U.S. voter should have the option to vote early or absentee without having to document a reason.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Research Associate
Andrew Daniller is a research associate at Pew Research Center, where he studies public opinion on U.S. politics and policy, including political polarization, trust in government and elections, and a wide range of policy areas. He regularly presents to outside groups on these topics and discusses findings with the news media. Before joining the Center, Andrew was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, where his research focused on how news media affect views of elections and campaigns.
Six-in-ten Americans say any U.S. voter should have the option to vote early or absentee without having to document a reason.
Across six issue areas, the share of adults who say there is at least some common ground between the parties has declined by an average of 12 points since 2023.
72% of U.S. adults say that there should be limits on the amount of money individuals and organizations can spend on political campaigns.
About four-in-ten Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (41%) say Reagan has done the best job as president over the past 40 years, compared with 37% who say Trump.
68% of U.S. adults who voted in the 2020 presidential election turned out to vote in the 2022 midterms. Former President Donald Trump’s voters turned out at a higher rate in 2022 (71%) than did President Joe Biden’s voters (67%).
Democrats hold the edge on many issues, but more Americans agree with Republicans on the economy, crime and immigration. Inflation remains the top concern for Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, with 77% saying it is a very big problem. For Democrats and Democratic leaners, gun violence is the top concern, with about 81% saying it is a very big problem.
Half of U.S. adults say they disapprove of selective colleges and universities taking prospective students’ racial and ethnic backgrounds into account when making admissions decisions. 33% approve of colleges considering race and ethnicity to increase diversity at the schools, while 16% are not sure.
In states where abortion is prohibited, the share of people who say access to abortion should be easier has increased since August 2019. A majority of residents in those states say it would be difficult to get an abortion in the area where they live today, up 21 points from four years ago.
When Americans look ahead to 2050, they see a country that in many respects will be worse than it is today.
Americans express highly negative views of President Joe Biden, congressional leadership in both parties and Congress more broadly. Views of the economy remain overwhelmingly negative, and there has been a sharp rise in the share who say the country cannot solve many of its important problems.
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