5 takeaways from exit polling of the 2022 midterms

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter
Thursday, November 10, 2022

Protesters outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., hold signs expressing their stance on abortion following the decision of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, on June 24, 2022. | The Christian Post/Nicole Alcindor

3. More than one-quarter of voters identified abortion as their most important issue.

While much political punditry heading into the midterm elections focused on whether or not the Dobbs decision would impact the overall results, 27% of respondents in 2022 exit polling identified abortion as the most important issue that determined how they cast their vote Tuesday. Within this group, 76% favored Democrats, while 23% preferred Republicans.

A slightly higher share of voters (31%) pointed to inflation as the primary determinant in their preferences in the 2022 midterms. Voters most concerned about inflation preferred Republicans over Democrats by a nearly three-to-one margin (76% to 23%). Republicans also performed very well among voters most concerned about crime and immigration, who constituted 11% and 10% of the electorate, respectively. Republicans won 71% of and 70% of respondents prioritizing crime and immigration.

On the other hand, Democrats also dominated among the 11% of voters who classified gun policy as the most important factor determining their vote, winning this group 60% to 37% over Republicans.