A candidate's competence matters most in Americans' presidential votes
Core finding
When Americans recall what shaped their last presidential vote, a candidate's competence stands out: about a quarter (26%) point to the candidate's competency as the biggest influence, according to an April 2024 Verasight survey.
Nothing else draws as much, with personal economic concerns accounting for 17% and broader economic conditions 14%, while 12% have never voted for president and 11% cite partisan loyalty. Smaller shares name the candidate's personal image (6%), international issues (5%) or the candidate's popularity (3%), and 7% give some other reason.
Topline distribution
A candidate's competence matters most in Americans' presidential votes.
The last time you participated in an Presidential election, which of the following was the most influential to your vote?
n = 1,000 · Apr 10–15, 2024 · MoE ±3.5%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Apr 10–15, 2024 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.5% |
| Module | 2 |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | module-specific weights: weight_m1 for module 1, weight_m2 for module 2 |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- verasight-mpsa-2024.tiiny.co
The last time you participated in an Presidential election, which of the following was the most influential to your vote?
Cite this question
Verasight MPSA Omnibus Survey #2024-037, fielded April 10-15, 2024, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.