Results of the Nov. 3 election in Indiana, and across the country, may not be known for days. The counting of ballots continues after election night most years. This year’s expected surge in mailed ballots means election offices may need extra time to tally all the votes. As that occurs, some candidates may call for the counting to end and for themselves to be declared the winner. However, winners will be decided when all the votes are counted — that’s the American election system at work. WFIU/WTIU's journalists will cover that process, and WFIU/WTIU will rely on The Associated Press and NPR to call races for the winner based on the AP’s rigorous, time-tested method.
Voters in Indiana made their pick for president while holding negative views about the country's direction, according to an expansive AP survey of the American electorate.
The race between President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden concluded Tuesday as the nation remains in the throes of a global public health crisis and mired in the economic downturn it brought on. AP VoteCast found that 45% of Indiana voters said the U.S. is on the right track and 55% of voters said it is headed in the wrong direction.
Here's a snapshot of who voted and what matters to them, based on preliminary results from AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of about 127,000 voters and nonvoters -- including 2,364 voters and 572 nonvoters in Indiana -- conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago.
FACING THE PANDEMIC
The coronavirus pandemic has spread through the U.S. for roughly eight months, killing more than 230,000 Americans. Overall, 19% of voters said the virus in the U.S. is completely or mostly under control, and 32% said it’s somewhat under control. Forty-eight percent of voters think the coronavirus is not at all under control in this country.
ON THE ISSUES
The coronavirus pandemic was top of mind for many voters in Indiana. Thirty-eight percent said it is the most important issue facing the country today.
Voters also considered the economy a major issue, with 29% saying it ranked at the top.
Eleven percent named health care, 7% named racism and 4% named law enforcement.
NATIONAL ECONOMY
Voters were slightly negative in their assessments of the nation's economy. Overall, 47% described economic conditions in the U.S. as excellent or good, and 53% called them not so good or poor.