http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/041106/480/wx10211061917WASHINGTON - Most American voters say the decisive presidential election last week has given them renewed confidence about the nation's electoral system and they're hopeful about the next four years, an Associated Press Poll finds.
At the same time, they feel a sense of urgency about Iraq (news - web sites), their top priority for President Bush (news - web sites) to tackle after his re-election, questioning disclosed. Iraq was followed by terrorism among voters' leading concerns.
Voters took comfort from an election that wasn't tied up in the courts as in 2000. "Anytime you have to wait as long as it the election did in 2000, it leaves people with doubts and a bitter taste in their mouths," said Jim Seaman, a Republican businessman from Summerville, S.C.
The poll taken in the days following the election also found that voters want Bush to cut the deficit, which ballooned under his watch, rather than pushing for more tax cuts. The voters' concerns stood in contrast to the priorities Bush cited after he defeated Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites). Bush pledged to aggressively pursue major changes in Social Security (news - web sites), tax laws and medical malpractice awards. Terrorism was a chief concern both for Bush and many voters in the poll.