The University’s Texas Politics Project released its final election poll on Oct. 18, surveying registered Texas voters’ opinions on key issues like the economy and abortion access before Election Day.
The Daily Texan broke down key findings from the poll to see where Texas voters stand one week from the election.
The presidential election
Former President Donald Trump leads with 51% of the Texas vote, five points above Vice President Kamala Harris. Additionally, 58% of Texas voters aged 18 to 29 plan to vote for Harris, while 38% of the same age group plan to vote for Trump, according to the poll.
U.S. Senate race
The poll also found 51% of Texas voters plan to vote for incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz, giving him a seven-point lead over Rep. Colin Allred. With young voters, Allred has a seven-point lead over Sen. Ted Cruz.
Inflation and the economy
The economy is the top issue for Texas voters going into the 2024 election, according to the poll. Over a third of respondents said they feel the state’s economy is about the same as it was a year ago, while 35% feel it has gotten worse.
Regarding the national economy, almost half of Texans surveyed said it has worsened in the last year, while 23% said the economy was about the same, and 27% said the economy has improved.
Among voters aged 18 to 29, 34% of voters think the national economy is about the same as it was a year ago, and 38% think the economy has improved.
Immigration and border security
Respondents ranked immigration as the most important issue for the state and the second most important issue for the country in this election.
Liberal, Democratic and young voters generally agreed that immigrants are hardworking, part of “what makes America special” and will take jobs Americans won’t. On the other hand, Republican and conservative voters said overall that immigrants strain local resources, are more likely to commit crimes and are looking for handouts.
Abortion
45% of Texans surveyed said the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was a good thing, while 40% said it was a bad thing. Only 15% said they didn’t have an opinion.
In an August Texas Politics Project poll, 49% of Texans said abortion laws should be less strict than they are now, while 23% said they should be more strict. Additionally, 20% of respondents said the law should be left as is.
Students can vote early at the Union or the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs until Nov. 1. Election Day is Nov. 5.
