The strong support for Trump seen among white evangelical voters and the weaker support (relative to 2012) for Clinton among religious “nones” reflect broader trends among Republicans and Democrats. On balance, Republican voters as a whole support Trump somewhat more strongly than they did Romney at a similar point in the 2012 campaign, while Democrats’ support for Clinton is more lukewarm than it was for Obama in 2012. Despite these shifts, however, among registered voters overall, the survey finds that in a two-way contest between Clinton and Trump, Clinton leads by a 51% to 42% margin.

The survey also shows that large numbers of both Clinton and Trump supporters view their choice as more of a vote against the opposition candidate rather than an expression of support for their candidate. Furthermore, overall satisfaction with the choice of candidates is at its lowest point since 1992, with roughly four-in-ten voters (41%) saying the choice between Clinton and Trump is a tough one because neither would make a good president.