There is an actual scientific national poll that deserves our attention.  In a new poll previewing the 2016 election looking at the issues that voters care most about, the Barna Polling Group asked 1,025 voters about their concerns a few weeks ago.

Three-quarters of voters say that issues are the most important factor in their support for a candidate. Overall, and by a significant margin, the stagnant economy ranks as the top concern among voters with three-out-of-four saying that issue would have “a lot” of influence on their choice of candidate.

Interestingly, there are noteworthy differences in priorities across voter demographics. Evangelical voters, who make up 40% of the Republican voting block, rank religious liberty as their top concern (67%), ranking statistically even with the economy and even a few points higher than abortion, which often ranks at the top of their list.    In other words, protecting religious freedom has now become their priority social issue.

Among other demographics, young voters, often called millennials, rank the environment higher than other groups and foreign policy lower. While the economy ranks high, surprisingly, it is a lower concern among the young than any other group.

Baby Boomers rank foreign policy at 52%, which is higher than any other age group.   The elderly, who typically have the highest turnout in presidential elections, are most interested in the economy (86%), foreign policy (72%), and immigration (69%).  Boomers and the elderly both rank the environment at the bottom of the list of the poll’s issues.