Less than half of evangelicals plan to vote for Trump, according to latest survey
The latest survey conducted by LifeWay Research shows American Evangelicals are still divided when it comes to politics, with only less than half declaring to vote for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
The study, conducted between Sept. 27 and Oct. 1, has revealed that 45 percent of evangelicals are planning to vote for Trump while 31 percent say they would vote for Hillary Clinton. About 8 percent are going to vote for Gary Johnson while 15 percent remain undecided.
Clinton remains popular among African-Americans, Hispanic Americans and Asian-Americans who profess evangelical beliefs. About 62 percent favor her over Trump who has 15 percent. Seven percent say they would vote for Johnson while 13 percent are undecided.
A majority of white American evangelicals are supporting Trump over Clinton at 65 to 10 percent. Eight percent are planning to vote for Johnson. Thirteen percent say they are still undecided.
Most evangelicals remain loyal to their political parties. Three-quarters of registered Republicans are planning to vote for Trump. About the same percentage of registered Democrats are voting for Clinton.
Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, says the division among evangelicals is likely to remain even after the elections.
"This group of Christians share the same core beliefs — but they don't vote the same way," said McConnell. "There are significant cultural and political divides among evangelicals that won't easily go away," he added.
LifeWay also asked the respondents about the issues that are most important to them. Improvement of the economy is on top of the list at 30 percent. About 17 percent said that national security is important while another 17 percent valued the candidate's personal character.
Ten percent say that Supreme Court nominees are significant. Five percent believe that immigration is an important issue. Two percent are concerned about religious freedom while only one percent prioritize the issue of abortion.
The survey also indicated that those who go to church at least once a month favor Trump over Clinton at 41 to 34 percent. Those who skip church choose Clinton over Trump at 46 to 31 percent.
A previous survey conducted by LifeWay indicated that 40 percent of American pastors are undecided in the coming elections. Most of them do not expect Christians to pick the same candidate if they vote according to their conscience.
