Inflation tops voter concerns in new national poll ahead of midterm elections
The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, run Oct. 5‑7 by Noble Predictive Insights, surveyed 2,527 registered voters nationwide and found inflation was the top issue for 46% of respondents, up nine points since the March survey.
The poll, which asked voters to name their three biggest concerns from a list of 21, also placed the economy and jobs at 31%, healthcare at 28% and government corruption at 25%, while the national debt and government spending lingered near the bottom at 13%.
Inflation led across the political spectrum, ranking first for 47% of Democrats and Democratic‑leaning voters, 45% of Republicans and Republican‑leaning voters, and 48% of true independents.
“Price levels/increases are immediate. We all feel them,” Karlyn Bowman, a distinguished senior fellow emeritus at the American Enterprise Institute, said. “Issues such as the government debt are more abstract. People don’t think about them in their daily lives.”
The poll’s margin of error was plus or minus 1.95 percentage points. The timing coincided with fresh consumer‑price data: the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 0.6% rise in September and a 3.7% year‑over‑year increase, with gasoline prices up 9.1% for the month and 34.2% over the past year.
Grocery prices were 1.8% higher than a year earlier and restaurant prices rose 3.5%, fueling the perception that daily expenses are climbing.
Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School Poll, noted that “both are at least weekly purchases and people feel that directly, as opposed to rent or insurance costs which may rise once a year.”
While inflation surged, the share of voters naming the national debt among their top three issues held steady at around 13% in March, August and October, suggesting the fiscal deficit remains a peripheral concern for most Americans.
Both major parties have begun running ads promising to address rising grocery costs, but analysts say specific policy proposals remain vague.
Voters will cast ballots on Nov. 3 in the upcoming midterm elections, where economic issues are likely to shape campaign narratives.
