In this divisive election year, Ohioans agree on two things: They are not happy, and they doubt the presidential candidates will change that malaise. About 63 percent believe the nation is on the wrong track, compared with about 38 percent who say it's on the right track, according to a poll conducted for Ohio media outlets and led by the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron.

In this divisive election year, Ohioans agree on two things: They are not happy, and they doubt the presidential candidates will change that malaise.

About 63 percent believe the nation is on the wrong track, compared with about 38 percent who say it's on the right track, according to a poll conducted for Ohio media outlets and led by the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron.

Some of the respondents answered open-ended questions with open exasperation:

"Neither of the candidates seems fit to hold the office of president."

"Congress can't get together on anything."

"Everything is a mess."

There were fears of world war and another depression.

A deep frustration both with the federal government and its inability to address even the most basic problems has created fundamental changes in the political dynamic of 2016.

Coupled with that is a deep skepticism about whether either party's presumptive nominee - Democrat Hillary Clinton or Republican Donald Trump - can fix things.

Fifty-eight percent of respondents said the presidential candidates are doing either a "poor" or "very poor" job of addressing the issues, an indication there isn't a lot of hope the candidates will be able to meet the widespread concerns. Only 16 percent said the candidates are doing a "good" or "excellent" job of addressing Americans' concerns.

And that's largely before Ohioans are targeted yet again with of millions of dollars in campaign advertising seeking to sway voters to one side or the other.

Much of the pessimism revolves around the candidates themselves.

While unified in their frustration, Ohioans are split on both the key issues that face their state and how to address them. The largest share, 26 percent, indicated that economic issues were a priority this election cycle. But that umbrella covers everything from income inequality to jobs to trade to poverty.

If anything, the survey underscored that Ohio as a whole - a political bellwether that is a microcosm of the nation - may be impossible to satisfy.

The poll was conducted by the Bliss Institute for the Ohio Media Project, a collaborative of major daily newspapers and television and radio stations. The news outlets have pledged to work together in representing the concerns of Ohioans in the 2016 election through polling, public conversation and online engagement on the Your Vote Ohio Facebook page.

Funding for the project comes from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, with Bliss, the Akron Beacon Journal and the nonpartisan Jefferson Center public research organization leading the effort.

Through an unusual approach to polling by Bliss director John Green, the survey allowed respondents to define the issues themselves rather than select from a list of pre-determined prompts. What came through the most clearly was Ohioans' frustration.

"The frustration is really uniform, but people have different ideas not only of what the specific problems are but how they might be addressed," Green said. "Because there's this sense that the issues have not been addressed effectively by political leaders, whether on one issue or another, there is this kind of openness to something new."

He said he was particularly struck by the dissatisfaction with the political process itself. Such exasperation, he said, has rarely been a top priority.

Dom Wilson, 22, a market research analyst from Columbus, dislikes the options on this year's ballot.

"We need to steer away from the two-party system. I think the American people deserve a greater variety of choices," he said.

These types of sentiments may speak to Trump's appeal. So many people, Green said, are unhappy with "the system" that Trump can stay relatively steady in the polls despite insulting so many different groups.

"It could very well be that a lot of people are so hungry for some kind of change that behavior that normally wouldn't be tolerated from politicians is tolerated," Green said. "Because everything really is that different. Whatever you can say about Donald Trump, he's not politics as usual."

The perception that the system is broken and corrupt also is a key factor in the popularity of Sen. Bernie Sanders, who identified as a socialist before running as a Democrat, Green said.

But it's deeper than that.

Beyond the cynicism with the process itself, "there's frustration because certain problems are not being addressed," the veteran political-science professor said. Promises of sustained job growth, as well as issues such as tensions between communities and law enforcement, highly publicized crimes, a serious drug problem and abortion, are collectively making Ohioans feel that the people they put in office are merely spinning their wheels.

"The government isn't responding to these real problems," Green said.

"I've seen this before in polling and read about this in history," he said. "Things reach a point where people of all backgrounds are so frustrated that they're willing to try something completely new. ... When people get really, really frustrated, they're much more likely to accept things that are a big departure from the norm."

The poll of 1,000 Ohioans was conducted for Bliss by the Center for Marketing and Opinion Research in Akron from mid-April to mid-May and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The respondents were not identified to the news media group.

Among the survey's findings:

•Eighty percent identified economic issues as "very important" to their 2016 vote - but again, that topic encompassed jobs, income inequality and several other issues.

"You see a pretty sharp dichotomy between people worried about jobs and people worried about poverty and inequality," Green said.

Jobs and inequality aren't unrelated, he said, but they're conceptually different things. Jobs, he said, are "about the availability of employment." Income inequality could address those who are employed but "can't earn enough money to be above the poverty line."

•Public policy issues, including government spending, taxes, health care, education, veterans, welfare, the environment and infrastructure, came in second, with 22 percent of those polled identifying those type of issues as the most important facing the country.

Sherman White, 47, a retail worker from Blacklick, labels health care - and its costs - as his top worry.

"A lot of us lack the funds, the finances and sometimes the resources to get proper medication," he said.

•Nineteen percent thought the biggest problem is with politics or politicians themselves, including lack of cooperation, special interests, money and corruption.

•Public order - such as racism, morals, rights, abortion, sexuality, crime, violence and guns - is the most important issue for 15 percent, while foreign policy - such as national defense, terrorism or immigration - is the top issue for 13 percent.

"I think we're faced with racial issues, and I definitely won't vote for Trump," said Janet Higgins, 66, a Columbus retiree. "We need someone in office who is unprejudiced. Trump is a racist."

Derek Wholihan, 28, an IT worker in the Franklin County recorder's office, identifies civil rights for the LGBT community, and immigration, as his top concern. His stepmother is a Filipino Muslim, but relatives in the Phillipines "are afraid to visit amid Trump's keep-them-out statements."

"I would be terrified for my family members who do want to come here, because he doesn't want them here," Wholihan said.

One respondent said abortion is the No. 1 issue of the campaign; Clinton supports the right to an abortion, while Trump does not. "It's murder," the respondent said. "It's against God's rules, against God's laws."

Jeff McFellin, 67, of Ottawa Hills, labeled drug addiction as the biggest problem, and he sees a relationship with the influx of illegal immigrants.

"I'm all for that wall that Donald Trump wants to build. I think it would keep the drug lords from coming over. That heroin epidemic is terrible," he said.

Contributing to this story were Reporters Doug Livingston of the Akron Beacon Journal, Randy Ludlow of The Dispatch, Chris Stewart of the Dayton Daily News and Tom Troy of The (Toledo) Blade.

jwehrman@dispatch.com

@JessicaWehrman