Voters voiced dissatisfaction, anger as they turned out to vote in this week's elections
As voters hit the polls in key elections, many appeared to be driven by a common sentiment about the state of America, ABC News exit poll analysis shows.
"Angry" and "dissatisfied" were the words to describe the feelings of many in New Jersey, Virginia, and California, where Democrats made huge gains in state and local elections.
Jonathan Hanson, a political scientist and lecturer in statistics at the University of Michigan, said that political mood and the massive showing at the polls during an off-year election was not surprising. Recent polls have shown that the majority of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump's job performance and found many feel both parties are out of touch with Americans.
"The buildup of pressure, [and] that buildup over the years of gridlock is bringing us to this breaking point," Hanson told ABC News.
Hanson warned that while political anger "doesn't necessarily last a long time," he noted that the country is at a major inflection point that is energizing Americans and speculated that this energy will continue into next year.
Exit poll data showed where those frustrated voters directed their ire. Voters were asked how they felt about the way things were going in the country today and given four response options: Enthusiastic; satisfied but not enthusiastic; dissatisfied but not angry; and angry.
Sixty-four percent of Virginia voters said they were either "dissatisfied" or "angry" about the way things are going in the country today -- including more than one-third who said they are "angry," according to the data.
Over 9 in 10 self-described angry voters voted for Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger for governor, and 62% of dissatisfied voters voted for Spanberger as well, the poll found.
In New Jersey, where Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill prevailed in the governor's race, about two-thirds of voters said they were dissatisfied or angry with the way things are going today in the U.S., according to the exit poll.
Four in 10 New Jersey voters said they were "angry." Nine in 10 angry voters voted for Sherrill along with about 6 in 10 dissatisfied voters.
In California, where voters passed a Democratic ballot measure to redistrict the state, the ABC News exit poll found 74% of voters said they were angry or dissatisfied. About 9 in 10 angry voters voted yes along with 6 in 10 dissatisfied voters.
Hanson said there have been many inflection points throughout American history where major dissatisfaction has led to change, citing the Civil Rights movement and, in an extreme example, the Civil War.
Aside from the huge protests against Trump's policies, such as deportations and tariffs, even Americans who were swayed by Trump's promise to cut costs are losing their patience and speaking out, Hanson said.
"There is a lot of anger and frustration that Trump came in with a narrow electoral victory. We have a closely divided Congress and he went and moved quickly in a radical fashion to change the way our democracy works rather than focus on the core issues," he said.
"Americans are getting more and more unhappy because the things that made them unhappy are still there and getting worse."
Hanson said the huge "No Kings" protests last month were indicative of the frustration and many Americans decided to take action at the polls.
"People are looking for outlets and how they can make a difference," he said. "They are waiting for a moment to make change and having an election is the way to do that."
Hanson said it is very likely that this anger could fuel voters' motivations going into the midterms, especially if Trump continues to remain unpopular and the stalemate continues in Congress.
"The fact this was an off-year election, not even a midterm congressional election, really speaks volumes," he said.
