EXIT POLL: Washington State Voters Focus On Economy - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

EXIT POLL: Washington State Voters Focus On Economy

Posted: Updated:

SEATTLE (AP) - A look at preliminary results from exit polling in Washington state conducted by Edison Media Research for The Associated Press and television networks:

ECONOMY: Washington voters were focused on the economy with a majority calling it the top problem facing the country - though more voters say it's on the mend than think it's getting worse. Just over 1 in 5 say the economy is now excellent or good.

On a personal level, about half of voters here said rising prices were the biggest economic problem affecting them, while a quarter of voters said unemployment was hitting them hardest.

BETTER OFF?: About 1 in 4 Washington voters think their financial situation improved in the last four years, while slightly more said their finances have gotten worse since President Barack Obama won election four years ago.

PRESIDENT WITH A VISION: About a third of Washington voters said they were looking for a presidential candidate with a vision for the future, and a similar share wanted one who holds their values.

About 1 in 8 prioritized finding a strong leader or someone who cares about people like them. About half said they strongly favored the candidate they elected.

HEALTH CARE REPEAL: Half of voters said they wanted the 2010 federal health care law repealed at least in part, while 4 in 10 felt it should be expanded or left as is.

GOVERNMENT'S ROLE: Most voters in the state favored diminished government efforts to solve problems, while 4 in 10 said they wanted government to do more.

MIND MADE UP: About 7 in 10 voters said they made up their mind about a presidential candidate before September.

The survey of Washington state voters was conducted for AP and television networks by Edison Research. This includes preliminary results from a survey of 1,493 voters who voted early or absentee and were interviewed by landline or cellular telephone from Oct. 29 through Nov. 4. Results for the full sample were subject to sampling error of plus or minus 3%age points; it is higher for subgroups.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

  • Political

  • In the spring of 1963, a prominent civil rights leader led dozens of protesters on a four-mile march from a predominantly African-American college campus to the center of Charlotte's downtown.
    In the spring of 1963, a prominent civil rights leader led dozens of protesters on a four-mile march from a predominantly African-American college campus to the center of Charlotte's downtown.

  • The president and CEO of The Associated Press says the government's seizure of AP journalists' phone records was "unconstitutional" and already has had a chilling effect on newsgathering.
    The president and chief executive officer of The Associated Press on Sunday called the government's secret seizure of two months of reporters' phone records "unconstitutional" and said the news cooperative had not...

  • President Barack Obama is delivering the commencement address at Morehouse College, the historically black, all-male institution that counts Martin Luther King Jr. among its alumni.
    President Barack Obama, in a soaring commencement address on work, sacrifice and opportunity, on Sunday told graduates of historically black Morehouse College to seize the power of their example as black men graduating from...
    •