The novel coronavirus distraction from US politics that affected voters earlier in the year has largely faded in the weeks before the November presidential election, with enthusiasm over the upcoming vote hitting the highest level since the pandemic's onset, a new Gallup poll revealed on Tuesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2020) The novel coronavirus distraction from US politics that affected voters earlier in the year has largely faded in the weeks before the November presidential election, with enthusiasm over the upcoming vote hitting the highest level since the pandemic's onset, a new Gallup poll revealed on Tuesday.
"With the presidential election campaign intensifying and the pandemic heading into its sixth month, more Americans are thinking about the election than did so in April," a press release summarizing the poll said.
Seven in ten Americans report giving a lot of thought to the election, "the highest rate of public attention recorded thus far in the 2020 election cycle, starting from last fall," the release added.
In April, public attention to the election fell to 59 percent, down from 67 percent at the onset of the pandemic in February, the release said.
The 71 percent of Americans now focused on politics in on par with levels seen in August or September of the last four presidential election years, including 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016, the release added.
Republicans and Democrats are paying comparable attention to the campaign, while Republicans hold the edge on enthusiasm about voting, according to the release.
