Seven in ten Americans say the 2020 election is the most important of their lifetime

For many Americans, the stakes are high when it comes to the 2020 election.

In a YouGov poll of more than 6,500 Americans, about seven in 10 (69%) people say that the upcoming 2020 presidential election is the most important one of their lifetime so far.

About one in seven (14%) US adults say that some other presidential election was more consequential.

Perhaps surprisingly, given that they have lived through the most elections, Americans over 55 are the most likely (82%) say that the 2020 election has the highest significance.

Unlike so many other issues surrounding this election, on this topic Democrats and Republicans are very closely aligned. About three-quarters (76%) of Republicans say this election is the most important one of their life; an equal percentage of Democrats say the same. Slightly fewer (64%) Independents agree.

It may not be surprising that most Americans are placing a great deal of importance on the upcoming election. Additional polling from YouGov finds that half of Americans aren’t confident that the election will be free from foreign interference, while 48% don’t believe there will be a peaceful transition of power if the election results are contested.

Methodology: YouGov asked 6,547 US adults: “Thinking about the 2020 presidential election, do you consider this to be the most important presidential election of your lifetime so far, or do you think some other presidential election you've lived through has been more important?” The survey was carried out online September 29 - 30, 2020. Data were weighted on age, education, gender, race, and Census region to be nationally representative of adults in the United States.

Image: Getty