In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, a significant portion of Americans are keeping a close eye on the developments — but a lot are already worn out.

According to a new poll by Pew Research, 58% of Americans are either very closely or fairly closely following news about the candidates. Meanwhile, 28% admit to not following the news too closely, and 13% are not paying attention at all.

Despite the high level of engagement, many Americans are feeling fatigued by the constant stream of election coverage. About 62% report feeling worn out by the saturation of campaign and candidate news, a sentiment echoed in past election years. In June and July 2016, 59% felt this way, and by October 2020, the number had risen to 61%.

Interestingly, those who follow election news very closely are less likely to feel worn out. Only 40% of these individuals report experiencing fatigue, compared to 77% of those who don’t follow closely at all.

Partisan differences extend to feelings of fatigue as well. Republicans are slightly less likely to feel worn out by the coverage (58%) compared to Democrats (66%). This divide is particularly pronounced among conservative Republicans, only 55% of whom report feeling fatigued, versus 65% of their moderate or liberal counterparts.

When it comes to how Americans consume political news, a majority (57%) say they mostly encounter it by chance, rather than actively seeking it out (42%). Age again plays a significant role here; only 25% of young adults aged 18 to 29 seek out political news, whereas 60% of those aged 65 and older do so, marking a 35-point gap.

Moreover, individuals who closely follow the 2024 presidential election are much more likely to actively seek out political news. About 58% of these engaged followers report looking for news, compared to just 18% of those who are not closely following the election.

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