US midterms 2026: What polls reveal about Democratic, Republican voters

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkVideo Duration 53 minutes 34 seconds play-arrow53:34US Midterms 2026: The country is about to get a new Congress. What do voters want? | This Is AmericaBy Al Jazeera StaffPublished On 2 Nov 20262 Nov 2026Americans will vote in the US midterm elections on Tuesday, with the economy, the cost of living, and immigration among the top issues. While Democrats and Republicans share concerns about the rising cost of living, recent surveys suggest differences in how they view the economy, President Donald Trump, and other key issues.In an NBC poll released on Sunday, 75 percent of respondents said they were dissatisfied with the state of the US economy, and 51 percent said they were dissatisfied with their personal financial situation.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trump asks Supreme Court to block 20,000 California ballots before midtermslist 2 of 3US midterms: 1 day to go – Democrats rally around El-Sayed amid attackslist 3 of 3Trump, Vance campaign with candidates on last day before US midtermsend of listOther surveys conducted in October also offer a look into how voters from both parties felt about their finances and which issues mattered most.Here is what we know:What issues matter most to Democrats and Republicans?The economy is the main concern for US voters, but Democrats and Republicans vary on the importance of issues like healthcare, immigration, and crime.A Pew Research Centre survey, conducted between September 28 and October 4, suggested that 84 percent of registered voters considered the economy very important to their midterm vote. It was the top issue for 82 percent of respondents who prefer Republican candidates, and 88 percent for those who back Democrats.However, the two groups differed on other issues.About 85 percent of Democratic Party supporters considered the future of democracy very important, compared with 69 percent of Republicans. Healthcare was a priority for 82 percent of Democrats, compared with 53 percent of Republicans.Republican supporters were more concerned about immigration, with 72 percent saying it was very important, compared with 53 percent of Democrats.Violent crime was also more important to Republican supporters, at 64 percent, compared with 37 percent Democrats.A KFF survey, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, an independent nonprofit, from September 16 to 21, suggested 42 percent of registered voter respondents trusted Democrats more to handle healthcare costs, compared with 22 percent who trusted Republicans.On the cost of living, 39 percent trusted Democrats more, while 25 percent preferred Republicans.What grade do Democrats and Republicans give Trump’s second term?Views of President Trump and his economic policies remain divided along party lines.In the Pew Research Centre survey, 91 percent of Democratic respondents and those who leaned Democratic believed Trump’s economic policies had made things worse.Among Republican supporters, 39 percent said his policies had improved the economy, 35 percent said they made conditions worse, and 25 percent said they had little effect.In the November 1 NBC News poll, 40 percent of registered-voter respondents approved of Trump’s overall job performance, compared with 60 percent who disapproved.How do Democrats and Republicans feel about the economy?Americans are concerned about rising costs, but Democrats are more likely than Republicans to express negative feelings about economic conditions.In an October Pew Research survey, 36 percent of Republicans rated the US economy as excellent or good, compared with just 9 percent of Democrats or Democrat-leaning voters.However, the majority in both groups expressed concern about the cost of essential goods and services.According to PEW, 82 percent of Democrats and Democratic leaners were concerned about food and consumer prices, compared with 62 percent of Republicans and Republican leaners.Healthcare costs concerned 80 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Republicans, while petrol and energy prices worried 81 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of Republicans.A Fox News poll released on October 14 also had 74 percent of registered voter respondents rating the economy negatively, and 60 percent identified the cost of living as their biggest economic concern.The November 1 NBC News poll found that 53 percent of Republican respondents were dissatisfied with the state of the economy.The Pew Research Center also found that abortion and gun policy were less central to Democratic respondents in comparison with 2022. Among Republican voters, education policy and energy policy were less important than they were four years ago.Are Americans satisfied with their financial situation?In the NBC poll, 51 percent of registered voters were dissatisfied with their personal financial situation, compared with 49 percent who were satisfied.It was the first time in 30 years of NBC polling that dissatisfaction with personal finances outweighed satisfaction.In an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll on October 19-20, 38 percent of likely voters said their finances had gotten worse over the past year, 44 percent said they had remained about the same, and 15 percent said they had improved.A total of 51 percent of Democratic likely voters said their finances had deteriorated, compared with 21 percent of Republicans.In a Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted from September 30 to October 5, 71 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Republicans said their incomes had not kept pace with rising prices.Eric Ham, a former Democratic congressional staffer and Senate national security adviser, said that Trump’s global tariffs and the US-Israel war on Iran had added to the financial pressure on American households.“Americans are paying more not just in terms of self-inflicted wounds that President Donald Trump implemented through tariffs, but also if you look at this war of choice,” Ham told Al Jazeera.Are Democrats or Republicans more enthusiastic about voting?Democratic voters reported higher enthusiasm about participating in the elections.In the Marist poll, 91 percent of likely Democratic voters were enthusiastic or very enthusiastic, compared with 86 percent of Republicans and 76 percent of Independents.John Fury, a former Republican congressional staffer, said the final days of campaigning were focused on turnout.“This is not a persuasion election. This is a get-out-the base election,” Fury said.In a KFF survey, Democratic candidate supporters were 25 percentage points more likely than Republican supporters to describe themselves as “more motivated” than usual to vote (63 percent versus 38 percent).The November 1 NBC News poll also reported high interest in the elections, with 70 percent of registered voters rating their interest at nine or 10 on a 10-point scale. Who are Americans planning to vote for?Surveys conducted in the final weeks before the election suggested voters preferred Democratic candidates or Democratic control of Congress over Republicans.An NBC poll conducted on October 28-30 and published on November 1 suggested that 52 percent of registered voters preferred Democratic control of Congress compared with 45 percent who preferred Republican control.Similarly, the Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from October 22 to October 26 suggested that 53 percent of likely voters would vote for or lean towards the Democratic candidates in their district, compared with 44 percent who supported Republicans.These surveys measure voting sentiment, but they do not reflect the results of the individual races.