Published : 03 Nov 2026, 10:04 PM
Updated : 03 Nov 2026, 10:04 PM
The rising cost of living will be top of mind for Americans as they head to the polls in Tuesday's midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress for the last two years of President Donald Trump's term.
What follows are results from a Reuters/Ipsos poll of 1,765 US adults conducted nationwide Thursday through Monday -- making the survey distinct from an exit poll, which includes voters surveyed as they leave polling stations. The poll had a margin of error of 3 percentage points for registered voters.
The Cost of Living
Some 48 percent of registered voters in the poll say the cost of living is the top issue for deciding how they will vote, compared with 26 percent who say democratic norms and 13 percent who point to immigration. US fuel prices have surged since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran in February.
Donald Trump
Trump has urged supporters to pretend he is on the ballot in an effort to energise his Republican Party. The Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that 48 percent of people who planned to vote -- or already had done so -- said they thought of their ballots as a vote against Trump, compared with 25 percent who said they were voting for him. Some 25 percent said Trump was not a factor in their vote.
Iran
Trump has argued that war was necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Some 25 percent of voters think military action has been worth the cost, and 55 percent say it has not been worth it. Some 18 percent were not sure.
Election Integrity
Voters overall trust the US electoral process, with 77 percent saying they are confident their ballots will be counted but 45 percent saying they think voter fraud is a widespread problem. Trump has falsely claimed that massive numbers of non-citizens vote illegally, and election officials worry the administration could disrupt the election or certification of results it views unfavourably. The White House says its goal is to safeguard election integrity and voting security.
Household Finances
Some 49 percent of Americans think their household finances have gotten worse since January 2025, when Trump returned to power, compared with 13 percent who said their finances had got better and 37 percent who said things were about the same. Trump campaigned ahead of the November 2024 presidential election with a promise to turbocharge the economy, but his presidential approval has fallen in recent months to the lowest levels of his political career, including among Hispanic Americans who swung in his direction in 2024. The latest poll showed 54 percent of Hispanics said their household finances had suffered, while 10 percent said they had improved.
Transgender Sports
Some 38 percent of voters ahead of the election said keeping transgender girls and women out of women's sports was a very important issue or the most important issue, compared with 25 percent who said that about protecting the rights of transgender people.
Data Centres
Some 42 percent of registered voters in the poll said limiting the construction of data centres used to power AI was very important or the most important issue.
Mega Donors
The ultra-rich face few limits on how much they can spend to influence federal elections. A bipartisan majority of registered voters -- including 93 percent of Democrats and 71 percent of Republicans -- think it is inappropriate for billionaires to contribute tens of millions of dollars to influence elections.
Political Options
While poll respondents appeared to narrowly favour Democrats over Republicans for this year's congressional elections, they remain divided on which party has good ideas. Some 43 percent of registered voters in the poll said Democrats had at least some good ideas, while 39 percent said the same of Republicans.
