Exit polls conducted on Election Day Tuesday found that voters gave Republicans a narrow advantage over Democrats on the question of which party is better equipped to handle immigration, 44 percent to 40 percent.
The same exit polling found divided opinions on President Donald Trump’s enforcement of immigration law. Just 21 percent of voters said his enforcement efforts had not gone far enough, while 23 percent called his policies “about right.” A majority, 57 percent, said his approach has “gone too far.”
That 57 percent figure likely includes a wide range of voters, from those strongly opposed to Trump’s immigration agenda to those who disagree mildly but do not rank immigration among their top concerns.
The gap between the two parties on immigration narrowed compared with a pre-election poll of registered voters, which had shown Republicans with an 11-point advantage on the issue. One possible explanation for the shift is higher turnout among Democratic voters on Election Day itself.
When voters were asked to name their most important issue, the economy ranked first overall, followed by the state of democracy. Voters who supported Democratic candidates were more likely to prioritize concerns about democracy, while voters who backed Republicans ranked the economy first and immigration second.
The exit polls were conducted by SSRS on behalf of a consortium of media organizations, including NBC News, ABC News, The Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, and MS NOW. Interviews were conducted at 450 polling sites across 15 states.
