Maryland exit poll: Economy big for many voters

More than half of Maryland voters said the economy was the most important issue facing the country, according to a preliminary exit poll of Maryland voters. Among the early findings:
 
MAJOR ISSUES
 
The economy was by far the biggest issue on voters' minds. Fewer than one in five voters said the federal budget deficit was the most important, with about the same saying it was health care.
 
GAY MARRIAGE
 
About 4 in 10 voters on the same-sex marriage ballot question described themselves as moderate, with about 3 in 10 describing themselves as either liberal or conservative. About a quarter said attended religious services once a week, and about a third said they did so a few times a year.
 
The preliminary exit poll of 737 Maryland voters was conducted for the AP and the television networks by Edison Research in a random sample of 20 precincts statewide. Results were subject to sampling error of plus or minus 5 percentage points; it is higher for subgroups.
 
Online: http://surveys.ap.org/exitpolls