Hot Topics of the 2024 Election: Perspectives From the Public

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By The VCU Wilder School’s Office of Research and Outreach
September 9, 2024

With the 2024 election looming, debates over key issues are growing more contentious. As each candidate strivers to win votes, understanding where citizens stand on these issues is key in building their platforms. To get a better understanding of what motivates voters in Virginia as they cast their ballots, the Summer 2024 Wilder School Commonwealth Poll asked participants what is the most important issue impacting their vote.

Overall, the three most important voting issues for Virginians were the rising cost of living (31 percent), women’s reproductive rights (23 percent) and immigration (12 percent). When we consider the breakdown by political affiliation, the poll found that for Democrats, the most important issues were women’s reproductive rights (42 percent) and the rising cost of living (20 percent). For Republicans, the most important issues were the rising cost of living (43 percent) and immigration (23 percent). Finally, for Independents, the most important issues were the rising cost of living (36 percent) and women’s reproductive rights (17 percent).

Poll Methodology

The Summer 2024 Commonwealth Poll obtained telephone interviews with a representative sample of 809 adults, ages 18 or older, living in Virginia. Telephone interviews were conducted by landline (202) and cell phone (607). Interviews were conducted in English from June 24, 2024, to July 3, 2024. The sample was weighted to match Virginia’s adult population, which was the primary sampling unit, and the margin of sampling error for the complete set of weighted data is ±4.81.

The Rising Cost of Living

In addition to being a top issue for voters of all political affiliations, the rising cost of living was also a major priority for voters under 55 years old, those without a college degree, racial and ethnic minorities and those making less than $100,000 per year.

The rising cost of living, and the economy in general, has been an issue that has repeatedly been named as very important by voters over the years. In our August 2023 Commonwealth Poll, 36 percent of Virginians said that inflation and the rising cost of living was the most important issue facing the commonwealth. This was followed by education (18 percent), women’s reproductive rights (13 percent) and gun control (12 percent).

Women’s Reproductive Rights

Female voters in Virginia were more likely to view women’s reproductive rights as the most important issue (34 percent) compared to male Virginians (12 percent). In addition to women, the issue of women’s reproductive rights was named as a top priority among those with higher levels of education, racial and ethnic minorities, and those making over $50,000 per year. As discussed in the section above, women’s reproductive rights were not seen as having quite the same level of priority in August 2023 as it was in August 24 (with 13 percent versus 23 percent identifying it as a top issue), indicating that this is becoming more important to voters as the election draws near.

Immigration

Those who were most likely to say that immigration was a top issue included those aged 55 and older, those with a high school diploma or associate’s degree but not bachelor’s degree, those making under $70,000 per year, and white individuals. Respondents in the Summer 2024 poll were also asked whether they considered illegal immigrants crossing the southern border of the U.S. to be a major problem, a minor problem, or not a problem at all. Overall, over half of respondents (52 percent) said that they consider it to be a major problem, 33 percent said that they consider it to be a minor problem, and only 10 said that it is not a problem.

This issue is another that was strongly polarized by political party, with Democrats largely considering immigration at the southern border to be a minor problem (56 percent), while 86 percent of Republicans and 47 percent of Independents said that they consider it to be a major problem. There were also large differences of opinion based on the race of respondents, with White individuals most likely to say it is a major problem (62 percent) while approximately half of Black respondents (51 percent) said it is a minor problem.

Looking ahead to the election

With the presidential election about two months away, candidates at all levels will need to articulate a clear stance on these and other key issues. By listening to constituents, understanding polling results and public opinion and staying up-to-date on the latest news and developments related to these issues, the presidential candidates can help ensure that they are building their platforms in a way that is most aligned with the ideas of those they hope to serve.

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Author: The Wilder School’s Center for Public Policy advances research and training that informs public policy and decisionmaking to improve our communities. Drawing on the wide-ranging expertise of Wilder School faculty, we provide services including leadership development and training, economic and policy impact analysis, survey insights and program evaluation to clients in governments, nonprofits, businesses and the public, across Virginia and beyond. Twitter: @VCUWilderSchool

 

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