The midterm elections in the United States are often seen as a referendum on the presidency. And as voters gathered to cast their ballots on November 8, an NBC News Exit poll suggested that most voters did not want Joe Biden to run for presidency again in 2024. 

A total of 68% voters prefer Biden does not run for a second term, the exit poll said. Just about 29% of voters would like to see him run. 

However, Democrats in majority continue to stand by their President. Fifty-seven per cent of voters self-identifying as Democrats say they wish to see the 79-year-old to run for re-election. There is, however, some opposition among core Democrat constituencies. 

Two-thirds of midterm voters aged less than 30 don’t want Joe Biden to re-run for presidency. Nearly the same is true of Latino voters, 56% of whom don’t want Joe Biden to run again. Black voters, on the other hand, are an exception. Fifty-six percent Black voters wish to see Joe Biden run again.

Among independent voters, those who identify as neither Democrat or Republican, the support for a second Biden presidency was just around 25%.  

Joe Biden’s favorability rating among 2022 midterms voters is not significantly different from Donald Trump’s. The exit poll also asked respondents their views on both Joe Biden and Donald Trump. While 37% voters said they held a favourable view of Trump, 39% said they held a favourable view of Joe Biden. Only 1% of voters said they held favourable views for both Donald Trump and Joe Biden. 

Whether or not Biden will run for a second term is a question yet to be answered. The President’s campaign team has often suggested that he might consider another term in office. However, by the time it’s 2024, the 79-year-old President will have aged another two years. Donald Trump, on the other hand, may well make a second bid for the presidency.