WASHINGTON — As Election Day approaches, the emotional landscape for many Americans is complex, but excitement is notably absent.
A recent survey reveals that roughly 70% of the population is experiencing feelings of anxiety or frustration about the upcoming presidential election in 2024, with an equivalent number indicating some level of interest in the race.
However, only about one in three respondents expressed they feel excited.

An air of uncertainty permeates the final week of the presidential campaign, as polls show a competitive race both nationally and in critical swing states.
Neither Democrat Kamala Harris nor Republican Donald Trump holds a clear lead.
The candidates have presented starkly different closing messages, with Harris accusing Trump of being self-serving and fixated on revenge, while Trump labeled Harris a “trainwreck” who has caused significant destruction during her tenure, during a rally on Sunday night.

Certain demographic groups are experiencing heightened levels of anxiety compared to the previous election, even though the 2020 vote occurred amid a global pandemic.
In a 2020 survey, around two-thirds of Americans reported feeling anxious, a figure that aligns closely with the current poll results.
Among Democrats, about 80% now express anxiety, a slight increase from approximately 75% during the last election cycle.
Meanwhile, about two-thirds of Republicans are feeling anxious, which shows a notable rise from around 60% in 2020.

In contrast, independents have not experienced significant changes in their feelings, with about half indicating they feel anxious, mirroring their responses from 2020.
Discussions around other emotions reveal a slight uptick in excitement when compared to previous election cycles, with one-third of Americans now reporting feeling excited about the 2024 campaign—a rise from about 25% in 2016.
Nevertheless, the majority still do not share this excitement for this year’s race.

One consistent sentiment remains: frustration with the campaign. Approximately 70% of Americans resonate with frustration, a sentiment that echoes what was observed in 2020.
Despite these negative feelings, many Americans look forward to the eventual conclusion of the election.

The phone survey, which included 1,233 adults, was conducted from October 24 to 29, 2024, using the AmeriSpeak Panel, a representative sampling of the U.S. population created by NORC.
The margin of error for the sampling stands at plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.