After months of campaigning, Tuesday's presidential election may have come down to the two signature issues that defined Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump from the start: abortion rights and immigration.

In Reuters interviews in recent days, voters returned to those themes in explaining their choice for president. For many, personal experiences - as a parent, neighbor or friend - shaped their views on what was the most important.

While the sample was too small to base any hard conclusions, it provides a snapshot on how Americans may have been thinking in the final days of the campaign.

READ: Harris, Trump fight through final campaign hours

For Trump backers, the need to stem illegal immigration - a core theme of his presidency - was the No. 1 reason for voting Republican, according to those interviewed. A weakened economy and high inflation were often mentioned as other issues that motivated Trump's supporters. A surge in the cost of living is a sore point for many voters, even though the U.S. economy continues to grow and the jobless rate remains low.

"I know a lot of people that have personally struggled under the Biden administration," said Justin Newhouse, 23, a self-described conservative from Milwaukee.

For many Harris backers, her vow to protect abortion rights after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 ruling that recognized a constitutional right to the procedure was the most compelling reason to vote for the Democratic vice president. The perception that Trump, who has frequently made racist and offensive remarks, was a racist was often top of mind as well.

The interviews were conducted in the battleground states where the campaign is expected to be won or lost: Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin.

(Production: Joseph Campbell, Nathan Frandino, Aleks Michalska, Jane Ross, Xiayou Yin, Ardee Napolitano, Liliana Salgado, Cath Turner)