Every campaign season produces a long list of talking points, but voters tend to decide on a much shorter list of concerns. With Election Day on November 3, recent polling gives a clear picture of which issues are driving people to the polls and where the two parties' supporters part ways.
The Economy and Cost of Living Come First
The most consistent finding across recent surveys is that economic concerns sit at the top. An AP-NORC poll released in mid-October found that 85% of registered voters call the economy one of the most important issues, and 84% say the same about the cost of living. A Pew Research Center survey conducted from September 28 to October 4 found a similar result, with 84% of registered voters saying the economy is very important to their vote.
What stands out is how widely shared this concern is. In the AP-NORC poll, 80% of Republicans and 89% of Democrats ranked the economy among the most important issues, and 76% of Republicans and 91% of Democrats said the same of the cost of living. Pew found a comparable split, with 82% of Republican candidate supporters and 88% of Democratic supporters rating the economy as very important.
Voters' assessments of how the economy is being handled are less favorable. The AP-NORC poll found that about 8 in 10 registered voters disapprove of how President Trump is handling the cost of living, and about 75% disapprove of his handling of the economy. Overall, 36% approved of his job performance and 64% disapproved. Republican candidates, for their part, are emphasizing tax cuts and arguing that their opponents backed the policies that preceded the recent inflation, so both parties are competing to own the affordability message.
Democracy, Health Care, and Education
After the economy, Pew's list shows several issues drawing strong concern. The future of democracy ranks second, with 73% of registered voters calling it very important. Health care follows at 68%, and education at 62%.
These issues are not evenly weighted between the parties. Democratic candidate supporters rate the future of democracy at 85%, compared with 69% of Republican supporters. On health care, the gap is wider: 82% of Democratic supporters call it very important, versus 53% of Republican supporters. Education shows a similar pattern, at 74% to 48%.
Where Republican Voters Focus
Some issues rank noticeably higher among Republican supporters. Immigration is the clearest example, rated very important by 72% of Republican candidate supporters compared with 53% of Democratic supporters. Violent crime shows a similar gap, at 64% versus 37%. The size and scope of the federal government is another: 57% of Republican supporters rate it very important, compared with 35% of Democratic supporters.
Republican leaders have leaned into these themes, arguing that border security, public safety, and a smaller federal footprint are core reasons to keep a Republican Congress. Gun policy also ranks higher among Republican supporters, at 54% versus 40%.
Where Democratic Voters Focus
Democratic supporters, meanwhile, give much more weight to a different set of issues. Environment and climate policy is rated very important by 66% of Democratic supporters but just 15% of Republican supporters, one of the largest gaps in the survey. Artificial intelligence shows a similar pattern, at 54% versus 34%. Issues around race and ethnicity (52% versus 18%) and policies related to gay, lesbian, or transgender people (35% versus 14%) also rank higher among Democratic supporters.
Investigations into the president and his administration reveal perhaps the starkest divide. About 63% of Democratic supporters call them very important, while only 7% of Republican supporters do. Overall, the issue ranks near the bottom, at 36%.
Issues That Cut Across Party Lines
A few topics are more evenly matched. Abortion is rated very important by 43% of Republican supporters and 49% of Democratic supporters, and about 46% overall. Foreign policy and energy policy also draw moderate concern from both sides, with the overall figures at 57% and 54%. These issues may matter less for deciding which party wins nationally but can be decisive in specific states and districts.
Voters Want Change, and Say Their Vote Counts
The AP-NORC poll's headline finding was that voters on both sides want change, and many described themselves as deeply frustrated. That frustration does not appear to be keeping people home. Among registered voters, 65% say voting is extremely important and another 21% say it is very important. Democrats report somewhat higher intensity, with 76% calling voting extremely important compared with 63% of Republicans, a gap both parties will be watching closely, since midterm turnout often decides close races.
What This Means for Election Day
The polling suggests that a shared concern about prices and the economy sets the backdrop for the election, while differing priorities drive each party's base. Candidates in competitive districts must speak to both: reassuring all voters about affordability while energizing their own supporters on the issues they care most about.
For individual voters, the most useful step is to look at where candidates actually stand on the issues that matter to you. Check your registration, your polling place, and early voting options through your state or local election office, and review your full ballot, since local races and ballot measures often touch daily life most directly.
Polls capture a moment in time, and they cannot predict how many people will vote or how undecided voters will break. What they do show is a country focused on pocketbook concerns, divided on much else, and engaged enough to make the outcome uncertain until the votes are counted.