US voters are more pessimistic than ever about the state of race relations in the United States since the election of its first black president, according to the poll.

About 60 percent of likely US voters believe racial tensions have gotten worse since President Barack Obama’s election in 2008, an 18 percent increase in the past year and a half, a Rasmussen poll revealed on Tuesday.

“As the nation reels from angry protests and deadly violence against police officers, voters are more pessimistic than ever about the state of race relations in this country since the election of its first black president,” a press release explaining the poll said.

The poll coinciding with the ongoing Republican National Convention and the Democratic convention next week, highlights stark differences in the collective mindsets of likely voters from both parties, as well as unaffiliated voters.

Eighty-four percent of Republicans and 67 percent of voters not affiliated with either major US political party believe race relations have worsened since Obama’s election, a view shared by just 32 percent of Democratic voters.

While Democrats are far less likely than the others to think life for young African-Americans has gotten worse since the president’s election, they are more critical of government efforts to improve those conditions, the release said.

On the other hand, Republicans and unaffiliated voters tend to place greater emphasis on parental and personal responsibility than Democrats.

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