AP VoteCast: Minnesota voters sour on state of nation

Voters in Minnesota gave Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden its 10 electoral college votes 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 Biden concluded Tuesday in a deeply divided nation struggling with a once-in-a-century pandemic and a severe economic downturn. AP VoteCast found that more than 3 in 10 Minnesota voters said the U.S. is on the right track and more than 6 in 10 voters said it is headed in the wrong direction.

AP called the Minnesota presidential race for Biden.

Here's a snapshot of who voted and what matters to them, based on preliminary results from AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of about 133,000 voters and nonvoters -- including 3,613 voters and 449 nonvoters in Minnesota -- conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago.

TRUMP VS BIDEN

Biden's victory in Minnesota continues of a streak of Democratic presidential victories back nearly a half century.

Biden was preferred over Trump among voters under 45 but older voters were split.

"I'm very much a conservative but Trump is just not what I want from a leader," said Marty Boeckman, 57, a software engineer from Blaine who voted for Biden this time. "He doesn't have leadership,"

Biden was preferred over Trump among both voters in cities and suburban voters but Trump led Biden among voters in small towns and rural areas.

FACING THE PANDEMIC

The coronavirus pandemic has spread through the U.S. for roughly eight months, killing more than 230,000 Americans. Overall, nearly 2 in 10 voters said the virus in the U.S. is completely or mostly under control, and 3 in 10 said it's somewhat under control. Half of voters think the coronavirus is not at all under control in this country.

Biden has slammed the president for "negligence and selfishness" in his response to the coronavirus. Minnesota was hitting record new cases before the election.

The virus response "has been very reactionary," said Vincent, who lives in Minneapolis. "I probably would have voted the same way, but it made it stronger."

Trump voter Greg Janacek, 45, of Blaine, said the government response to the pandemic could have been better but overall he is satisfied with it.

"It's a good balance of staying open but still protecting our citizens," he said.

ON THE ISSUES

The coronavirus pandemic was top of mind for many voters in Minnesota. Four in 10 it is the most important issue facing the country today.

One in 10 named health care, and less then 1 in 10 named racism and less than 1 in 10 named climate change.

Dan Giesen, 56, of Minneapolis, said he leans conservative but he voted for Biden this time.

"People he has appointed like Bill Barr have been undermining our institutions like the Department of Justice and using them in a political manner instead of in an independent manner," he said. "We can deal with partisan differences when our institutions and our norms are in place, but I think that those are being seriously eroded under Donald Trump."

NATIONAL ECONOMY

Minnesota voters were more negative than positive in their assessments of the nation's economy. Overall, 4 in 10 described economic conditions in the U.S. as excellent or good, and nearly 6 in 10 called them not so good or poor.

Biden told supporters in a speech in the Duluth area before the election that his policies would help support American manufacturing.

RACE FOR SENATE

Democratic incumbent Tina Smith fended off a challenge from Republican Jason Lewis to hold onto her Senate seat.

Lewis tied his fate to Trump in his campaign. He has campaigned with the president, flew on Air Force One with him and repeatedly echoed the president's position, blasting coronavirus restrictions and supporting the president's law-and-order stance.

Smith had an advantage over Lewis among voters under 45 while Smith and Lewis were neck and neck among older voters.

Voters in small towns and rural areas were more likely to favor Lewis over Smith. Smith had an advantage over Lewis among both voters in cities and suburban voters.

STAYING AT HOME

Among registered voters who chose not to cast a ballot in Minnesota, about one-quarter said that was because they don't like politics generally, 2 in 10 said they don't like the candidates and 1 in 10 said they don't know enough about the candidates' positions.

In Minnesota, about 7 in 10 of nonvoters were younger than 45 and 8 in 10 did not have a college degree.

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