Feb 29, 2020 - Politics & Policy

South Carolina exit polls: Climate change slips as top priority vs. Iowa, New Hampshire

A voter in Columbia, South Carolina. Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images

South Carolina's Democratic primary voters were less likely to list climate change as a top issue compared to previous nominating contests, according to the AP's VoteCast exit polls.

The big picture: Health care, climate change and the economy have been the top 3 issues in each primary to this point.

  • Iowa's top 5: Health care 37%, climate change 30%, economy 12%, foreign policy 8%, taxes 4%.
  • New Hampshire's top 5: Health care 35%, climate change 33%, economy 11%, foreign policy 6%, immigration 4%.
  • South Carolina's top 5: Health care 37%, economy 22%, climate change 14%, race relations 9%, gun policy 7%.

What's next: Polls close at 7 p.m. EST.

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