Economy and democracy dominate US midterm voter concerns, polls show

The economy and the state of American democracy emerged as the leading issues for voters in the 2026 US midterm elections, according to election-day polling cited by the BBC and France 24. The findings point to broad dissatisfaction with conditions in the country, although the reports do not establish the final electoral outcome. The BBC said 39% of more than 79,000 respondents in its Voter Poll identified the economy as the most important issue.

Democracy ranked second, with 32%. Immigration was named by 14%, while healthcare, foreign policy and crime were each the top concern for smaller shares of voters. France 24, citing an Associated Press survey, described the proportions more generally as about four in 10 prioritising the economy and three in 10 prioritising democracy.

Both accounts place those issues ahead of crime, healthcare and immigration. The polling also recorded a negative assessment of economic conditions. In the BBC survey, 75% of respondents described the national economy as “not so good or poor”, compared with 25% who called it excellent or good.

Forty-four percent said their family was financially worse off than two years earlier, while 38% said their position was unchanged and 18% said it had improved. Inflation was a particularly widespread concern. The BBC reported that 79% of voters said rising prices had caused their family moderate or severe hardship during the previous year.

Fifty-nine percent were very concerned about fuel costs and 58% expressed the same concern about food and groceries. The surveys also found that many voters attributed economic problems to Trump. Sixty-five percent in the BBC poll said his policies had worsened economic conditions, while 28% said they had improved them.

On higher-than-usual prices, 62% said the increase was more because of Trump’s policies and 38% attributed it mainly to factors beyond his control. France 24 reported that roughly six in 10 voters deeply disapproved of Trump’s presidency. About three-quarters of respondents said they were angry or dissatisfied with the direction of the country, while the BBC’s breakdown found 38% angry and 37% dissatisfied.

Only 18% told the BBC they were satisfied and 7% enthusiastic. The AP survey also found that about 70% of voters wanted Congress to impose more checks and balances on the president. The BBC reported that 43% regarded expressing opposition to Trump as a reason for their midterm vote, while 41% said he was not a factor and 16% said expressing support was a reason.

The elections were contested against a difficult political backdrop for Republicans, who held the presidency and majorities in both chambers of Congress. France 24 said Democrats hoped to win control of the House and Senate, but noted that the scale of any gains remained uncertain because of redistricting, partisan divisions and the distribution of competitive districts. More than 59 million Americans had voted before Election Day, according to France 24.

The report also said Democratic and nonpartisan groups had trained volunteers to monitor polling places because of concerns that Trump and his supporters could interfere with voting. The supplied reports provide polling and campaign context, but no confirmed results.