Fewer Americans listing inflation as top issue in elections: survey

Fewer Americans said inflation is their top issue going into November’s midterm elections than in recent months, according to a new poll released on Thursday.

Thirty percent of respondents in the NPR-PBS Newshour-Marist poll listed inflation as their top issue in the upcoming elections — down from 37 percent in July — as inflation showed signs of slowing.

Even as fewer Americans placed inflation at the top of their list of concerns, it remained the issue most frequently cited as being “top of mind,” ahead of abortion and health care, according to the poll. 

However, the issue of abortion gained ground on inflation: The portion of respondents listing it as their top election issue rose slightly from 18 percent in July to 22 percent in September, the poll found.

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, 61 percent of respondents said the decision made them more likely to vote in November’s elections. This number had decreased slightly by the September poll, with 58 percent saying the decision encouraged them to vote.

Democrats also maintained a slight edge over Republicans among the poll’s respondents, with 48 percent saying they would support a Democratic candidate for Congress in November and 44 percent saying they would support a Republican candidate. However, Republicans have narrowed the gap since June, when 41 percent said they would support one of the party’s candidates.

Democrats’ expectations for the upcoming elections have improved slightly in recent weeks amid a series of wins for the party, including the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and President Biden’s announcement about student loan debt forgiveness. 

The NPR-PBS Newshour-Marist poll was conducted from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 with 1,236 adults and is statistically significant within plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.