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Voter Issues

Overview  >  Voter Issues

These issue clusters drove the 2026 vote, and a second tier mattered to majorities.

Cost of living and corruption dominated; the others decided margins with specific groups.

Top issues on election day

Top issues AP Voter Poll NBC News Exit Poll
Cost of Living /Economy About 4 in 10 39%
Democracy/Corruption About 3 in 10 32%
Health Care About 1 in 10 Not reported
Immigraton About 1 in 10 Not reported
Emerging Issues About 1 in 10 Not reported

Gallup, survey of 1,057 registered voters, October 1 to 19, 2026

Cost of living and the economy

9 in 10

Called cost of living a crucial or major factor

8 in 10

Reported inflation hardship at home

2 in 3

Said tariff policy hurt the economy

Gas, groceries, utilities and health care were each a concern for more than 8 in 10 voters.

About two-thirds said the president’s policies had made the economy worse, and energy costs rose after the Iran war began in February. Concern about income and wealth distribution hit its highest midterm level in Gallup’s tracking (44%, up from 32% in 2018).

Democracy and corruption

More than half of voters called government corruption crucial to their vote.

About 3 in 10 named the state of democracy as the top issue, and Pew found 73% rated the future of democracy very important, including 69% of Republican supporters. About 7 in 10 said Congress is not doing enough to check the presidency.

Health care

Half of voters rated health care extremely important, tying its 2010 high.

KFF found about 6 in 10 very concerned about health care costs, and majorities said federal policy had worsened their costs (55%) and access to care (56%). In seven battleground states, about two-thirds of voters very concerned about health costs backed the Democratic Senate candidate, a group that favored Trump by 10 points in 2024.

Immigration

About 1 in 10 named immigration the top issue, but 72% of Republican supporters call it very important and concern among Democrats has risen 17 points since 2022.

It is the only issue where Republicans keep an edge in trust (44% to 41%), yet 57% say enforcement has gone too far.

Emerging concerns

AI and data centers

57% of voters said AI will do more harm than good, and 61% dislike leaders who support data centers near them.

Many trust neither party on AI.

The Iran war

47% rated the situation in Iran extremely important.

In the Fox News Voter Poll, about 6 in 10 called military action the wrong decision.

Supreme Court reform

Only about 4 in 10 voters approved of the Court’s job performance on election day.

After 2026 rulings on tariffs and on the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais, 74% supported term limits for justices and 70% supported congressional investigation of ethics violations. Adding justices is divisive at 40% support.

Second-tier issues

Issue Share rating it important Who cares most
Education 62% very important (Pew) Democratic supporters (74% vs. 48%)
Foreign policy 57% very important (Pew) Both parties at similar levels
Energy policy 54% very important (Pew) Cost-pressed households in every party
Violent crime 52% very important (Pew) Republican supporters (64% vs. 37%)
Abortion 38% extremely important (Gallup) Democrats, though less central than in 2022

Polls measure different things: Gallup’s “extremely important” is a stricter bar than Pew’s “very important,” so percentages are not directly comparable.

Design options

Which issue a leader leads with shapes who listens.

Option What it means Trade-off
Lead with the top issue Put cost of living at the front of                   every message and bill. Matches what most voters named; the economy can be hit by forces outside any program.
Lead with trust advantages Put health care, where voters trust    Democrats 50% to 30%, in front. Plays to strength; less persuasive to Republicans.
Lead with cross-party concerns (recommended pairing) Pair prices with corruption and checks on power, both rated crucial across party lines. Reaches independents and soft Republicans; reforms must bind the majority too.

Success metrics

Measure Baseline Target
Voters reporting inflation hardship About 8 in 10 Declining
Voters very concerned about   health costs About 6 in 10 Declining
Trust gap on immigration Republicans +3 Closed
Voters expecting AI to do more harm than good 57% Declining as protections take effect
Supreme Court approval About 4 in 10 Tracked through reform debate

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