Voters ‘disgusted’ by American politics ahead of US election, poll reveals

More than eight in 10 said the campaign had left them 'repulsed' rather than excited

Robyn Beck/Getty

An overwhelming number of US voters feel “disgusted” by the current state of American politics, according to a final pre-election poll from New York Times/CBS News.

In a preview of growing national discontent likely to tarnish the next president’s term, voters voiced their scepticism as to whether either party was capable of reuniting the country after one of the most ugly presidential campaigns in history.

More than eight in 10 polled said the campaign had left them “repulsed” rather than excited, with both Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and her Republican rival Donald Trump being seen as “dishonest” by a majority of voters.

However, Ms Clinton maintained the advantage in the survey, bolstered by support among female and non-white voters.

Final poll counts show Ms Clinton ahead with 45 per cent of the vote to Mr Trump’s 42 per cent, however many believe the race too close to call.

Meanwhile, fringe candidate Gary Johnson, the Libertarian nominee, has slipped to 5 per cent, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein holds 4 per cent of the vote.

Many are nervous of what a Clinton victory could look like after Mr Trump’s repeated accusations that the election has been “rigged” and that he won’t accept the results if he loses.

Just over six in ten of his supporters say they will be prepared to accept the results as legitimate if Mr Trump fails to clinch the victory.

However, over a quarter say they will not accept the outcome if Ms Clinton wins, with nearly 40 per cent saying they have no confidence their votes will be counted properly.

The Republican party has been largely split by its current candidate, with the overwhelming majority acknowledging the party faces a crossroads.

85 per cent of Republican voters said the party was divided, and only 14 per cent said it was united.

The responses were recorded in a nationwide telephone poll of 1,333 registered voters between October 28 and November 1, with one in five participants saying they had already cast their vote for who should become the next President of the United States.