Exit poll: Voters against deporting immigrants, worried about economy

Seven in 10 Americans going to the polls Tuesday say they think immigrants who are currently in the country illegally should be allowed to stay. Just a quarter say they should be deported.

More than half say they oppose building a wall along the Mexican border to stop illegal immigration, according to preliminary results from the exit poll conducted for The Associated Press and television networks by Edison Research.

But immigration isn’t necessarily at the top of the minds of most voters. Just 1 in 10 say immigration is the most important issue facing the country.

Republican Donald Trump made cracking down on immigration a top item on his agenda.

On another issue, about 6 in 10 of voters describe the state of the economy as not so good or poor.

But that economic unhappiness isn’t as high as it was in 2012, when three-quarters called the economy not so good or poor.

Among voters today, 3 in 10 say their personal financial situation has gotten better in the last four years, while nearly as many say it’s gotten worse.

More than half of voters say the economy is the most important issue facing the country, over terrorism, foreign policy and immigration.

— AP