Which of the following issues is most important in influencing your vote? (Select up to three)

Background

As the 2026 midterm elections approach, voters are weighing a wide range of issues when deciding which candidates to support. According to a March 2026 NBC News poll, the two issues weighing most heavily on Americans are inflation and the cost of living, and threats to democracy, each named by 26 percent of voters as the most important issue facing the country. Immigration and border security followed at 13 percent, and jobs and the economy at 11 percent. Pew Research Center found in early 2026 that roughly seven in ten adults say they are very concerned about health care costs, while 66 percent say the same about food and consumer goods prices and 62 percent about housing. An April 2026 Gallup survey confirmed that the high cost of living remains Americans' top financial concern, cited by 31 percent of respondents, with energy costs, housing, and health care rounding out the top four. Meanwhile, the recent passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has elevated health care as a campaign issue, with the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimating the legislation cuts more than one trillion dollars from Medicaid over a decade.

Supporters of prioritizing economic issues argue that persistent inflation, rising energy prices, and housing costs are squeezing household budgets and should be the central focus of any policy agenda. Those who emphasize threats to democracy point to concerns about government overreach, political polarization, and proposed changes to voting rules as existential risks to the political system. On immigration, some voters want stronger enforcement and border security, while others worry about the treatment of immigrants and the civil liberties implications of aggressive enforcement. Health care has emerged as a potent issue from both directions: some voters support the new Medicaid work requirements as a commonsense reform, while others warn the cuts could leave millions without coverage, according to a KFF poll showing 82 percent of Americans want Medicaid spending to stay the same or increase.

What voters identify as most important will likely shape which party controls Congress after November. According to the Deseret News and Morning Consult, affordability is the top issue nationally, and a record 55 percent of Americans told Gallup their financial situation is getting worse — the highest level since Gallup began asking in 2001. These priorities cut across demographic and geographic lines: younger voters are especially concerned about housing and jobs, while older voters focus on health care and retirement security. The Urban Institute estimates as many as six million Americans in Medicaid expansion states could lose coverage in 2026, making health care access a potentially decisive issue in swing districts. How candidates address these overlapping concerns — from kitchen-table costs to the health of democratic institutions — may well determine which issues ultimately move the most votes.