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Tuesday 08 November 2016 8:20 pm

US voters just want the election to be over but have voted for a strong leader

By: Oliver Gill

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Instead of sharing their joy at the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights, Americans looked forward to going to the polls today so that the whole thing can be over and done with.

A Morning Consult/Politico exit poll showed that a whopping 85 per cent of voters just wanted the election to be over when asked how they felt about the 2016 race to the White House.

Read more: It's finally arrived: How to trade US election night

Anxiousness and nervousness were the next two prevailing feelings with almost a quarter saying they felt both. Just half of voters were angry about the whole process.

First @MorningConsult/@Politico Exit Poll: Voters are anxious, angry and just want the 2016 election to be over https://t.co/gqEHnbOXxv pic.twitter.com/PedhevnbyL

— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) November 8, 2016

Strength over values?

Slightly concerning for some is an another exit poll by Morning Consult/Politico that revealed that strong leadership was the one value that Americans valued ahead of anything else.

Over a third of respondents (36 per cent) said that they decide to vote based on which candidate was the strongest leader.

In news that maybe of concern to those hoping for a Clinton victory, less than one in six voters were guided to cast their vote for the person who most shared their values.

Read more: Who is supporting Donald Trump anyway?

In comparison to how people measured the respective importance in 2012, the results were almost the opposite. Four years ago, only 18 per cent felt strong leadership was the driving force behind their vote, while 27 per cent voted for the candidate who most shared their values.

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