AP VoteCast: Voters Favor Biden on Virus, Trump on Economy

Voters in the U.S. presidential election faced a public health crisis and a wounded economy, but neither candidate emerged as the clear choice to handle both of those issues, according to AP Votecast.

More voters – both nationwide and in key battlegrounds – said former Vice President Joe Biden would be better able to handle the coronavirus pandemic, the top concern for about 4 in 10 voters. But President Donald Trump edged out Biden on the question of who would be better to rebuild an economy besieged by nearly 11 million job losses and small businesses staring down a bleak winter. About 3 in 10 voters nationally ranked the economy as the most pressing issue.

The question of whether the pandemic or the economy mattered more to voters was a heated debate in the campaign. Trump argued that the economy should not be a casualty of the disease and maintained, without evidence, that the nation was "rounding the turn." Biden has warned that the economy can never fully heal unless the coronavirus is first contained and businesses can fully reopen.

A majority of voters were receptive to that argument. About 6 in 10 voters said the government's higher priority should be limiting the spread of the coronavirus, even if it damages the economy.

AP VoteCast is a nationwide survey of more than 132,000 voters and nonvoters conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago.

Trump voters overwhelmingly endorsed their president. About 8 in 10 said their vote was in support of him, not in opposition to Biden. Meanwhile, Biden voters were closely split over whether they mainly supported Biden or opposed Trump with their vote for president.

Millions of voters rushed to cast their ballots early, and did so with a clear sense of anxiety and worry. About 6 in 10 voters – including most Biden voters and about a quarter of Trump voters – said they think things in the country are on the wrong track.

Trump's campaign tried to make the handling of the economy a top selling point for his reelection, an uphill battle as unemployment spiked to double digits this spring. A comeback has recently showed signs of stalling as federal aid lapsed because the Trump administration and House Democrats could not reach a compromise. Only about 4 in 10 voters said the economy was good or excellent, with the rest describing conditions as not so good or poor.