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Voting is underway at a polling station in Iowa, U.S., during the midterm elections on Nov. 3. /Yonhap News Agency

Voters identified the economy and the state of democracy as the most important issues facing the United States in the midterm elections held Tuesday.

President Donald Trump's approval rating was the lowest among sitting presidents during presidential and midterm elections since 2008.

According to an exit poll conducted by polling firm SSRS on behalf of major news organizations, including NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and the Associated Press (AP), 39% of respondents cited the economy as the most important issue facing the United States.

The state of democracy ranked second at 32%, followed by immigration (14%), healthcare (8%), foreign policy (4%) and crime (3%).

Asked why they voted that day, 43% of respondents said they wanted to express opposition to President Trump, while 41% said Trump was not a factor in their decision to vote. Only 16% said they voted to express support for the president.

When asked whether government corruption was a factor in their voting decisions, 54% of respondents said it was a decisive factor, while another 36% said it was a major factor.

As for the cost of living, 49% cited it as a decisive factor in their voting decisions, while 39% said it was a major factor.

Trump's job approval rating stood at 38%. NBC noted that this was the lowest approval rating for a sitting president during a presidential or midterm election since George W. Bush, whose approval rating plunged to 27% in 2008.

There was little difference in public sentiment toward the two major political parties. The Democratic Party had a favorability rating of 46%, with 54% viewing it unfavorably, while the Republican Party had a favorability rating of 41%, with 59% viewing it unfavorably.

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