Exit poll: Biden voters twice as likely as Trump voters to cast ballot in opposition to rival

A large share of Americans who already voted for Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden cast their ballot based on opposition to President Trump, according to a survey Tuesday.

Mr. Biden’s voters were twice as likely as Mr. Trump’s backers to vote based on opposition to the rival candidate, according to Morning Consult’s ongoing exit polling that includes early voters.

The survey found that 44% of Biden voters described their vote as against the Republican president, compared to 22% of Trump voters viewed it as a vote against the Democrat.

Among Biden voters, 54% considered it a vote for Mr. Biden. For Mr. Trump, 75% of his voters considered it a vote for him.

Americans often looked for similar character traits regardless of which candidate they backed. Good judgment was a “very important” trait cited by 92% of Biden voters and 85% of Trump voters.

Effectiveness was a very important trait for 88% of voters whether they backed Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump.

However, the traits considered most important diverged on “strong moral compass,” with 85% of Biden voters and 63% of Trump voters looking for that quality.

Voters also diverged when considering “good health,” with 58% of Biden voters and 71% of Trump voters saying that trait was “very important.”

Mr. Biden’s voters overwhelmingly said the coronavirus pandemic was “very important” in deciding for whom to vote.

The survey found 93% of Biden voters ranked the virus “very important.” Among Trump voters, 59% felt the same way and 30% said the pandemic was “somewhat important” in deciding their vote.

Roughly 1% of Biden voters and 8% of Trump voters said the coronavirus was “not that important” in deciding their vote.