WASHINGTON, D.C. — The economy, healthcare and the situation in Iran lead in importance to U.S. voters in this year’s election, among 11 issues rated. Half of registered voters say the economy and healthcare are extremely important to their vote, and 47% say the same about Iran. Roughly four in 10 rate income and wealth distribution (44%), gas prices (42%), immigration (40%) and abortion (38%) as extremely important.
About a third rate crime and the Israeli-Palestinian situation (35% each) as extremely important, while construction of AI data centers (30%) and climate change (29%) rank lowest.
These results are based on registered voters interviewed in an Oct. 1-19 Gallup survey, which asked Americans to say whether each issue is extremely important, very important, moderately important or not that important to their vote for Congress this year. Majorities of voters rate every issue except climate change as at least very important.
Economy Important, but Below 2010 High
The 50% of voters rating the economy as extremely important this year is essentially unchanged from 49% in the 2022 midterms amid high inflation, but well above the 34% recorded in 2018, when 55% of Americans rated economic conditions as excellent or good. Still, it falls short of the 63% “extremely important” reading in 2010, when the country was recovering from the Great Recession and about one in 10 Americans rated the economy positively.
Two other economic issues receive higher importance ratings than in previous midterms.
- Income and wealth distribution is extremely important to 44% of voters, the highest reading across the three midterm elections in which Gallup has measured it and well above the 32% in 2018 and 31% in 2014.
- Gas prices, at 42%, also exceed their only previous midterm reading of 32% in 2006.
Healthcare, immigration and climate change are all at or near the high end of their historical ranges. Half of voters rate healthcare as extremely important, tying its 2010 high and up from 40% in 2018, the last time it was measured. Immigration and climate change, by contrast, have changed relatively little in recent midterm years. Immigration has garnered ratings at or near 40% in every midterm since 2018, while climate change has generally stayed near its current 29%.
Abortion and crime receive similar ratings to 2022 (42% and 40%, respectively), but abortion is well above its 17% reading in 2002 and 27% reading in 2006, the only other years it was measured.
Reflecting their recent emergence as national concerns, this is the first time that the situation in Iran and the construction of AI data centers have been included on Gallup’s midterm issues list. The one previous time the Israeli-Palestinian situation was included, in 2002, 45% rated it extremely important.
These historical comparisons are based on Gallup’s final preelection measure of issue importance in each midterm year, typically conducted in October.
Democrats Regard Most Issues as Highly Important
As is often the case for the party out of power, Democratic voters are much more likely than Republican voters to rate most issues tested as extremely important to their vote in this year's midterms. The only exceptions are immigration, which receives similar ratings from both groups, and crime, which earns a higher importance score from Republicans.
Healthcare (68%) and the distribution of income and wealth (65%) top Democrats' list of voting priorities this year, followed by the economy (59%) and the situation in Iran (58%). At least half of Democrats also rate gas prices (53%), climate change (52%) and abortion (51%) as extremely important. At 32%, crime is their lowest priority.
None of the 11 issues is rated as extremely important by a majority of Republicans. Immigration (44%) and crime (43%) rank highest, followed by the economy (39%), Iran (35%), healthcare (34%) and abortion (32%).
Among independent voters, the economy (51%), healthcare (48%) and Iran (46%) rank highest. About four in 10 consider income and wealth distribution (41%), gas prices (41%) and immigration (38%) extremely important.
The largest partisan differences are on climate change and income and wealth distribution. Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to rate climate change (52% vs. 5%) and income and wealth distribution (65% vs. 22%) as extremely important, with gaps of 47 and 43 percentage points, respectively. Healthcare also shows a substantial partisan divide, with Democrats twice as likely as Republicans to prioritize it (68% vs. 34%).
In contrast, Republicans and Democrats are nearly equally likely to consider immigration extremely important (44% vs. 41%). Crime is the only issue Republicans are more likely to prioritize by a significant margin, 43% to 32%.
Dissatisfaction With Government Could Also Factor In
Voters’ ratings of specific issues differ somewhat from the concerns Americans identify when asked, without prompting, to name the most important problem facing the country. As has typically been the case for the past decade, the issue that Americans identify as most important in October is the government, at 26%, which could also factor into voters’ ballot choices. Democrats are especially likely to name the government (36%), compared with 22% each of Republicans and independents.
Specific economic concerns identified by Americans as the nation’s top problem in October include inflation (17%), the economy in general (15%), fuel prices (7%) and income inequality (2%). When taken together, 38% of Americans — including 39% of Democrats, 39% of independents and 36% of Republicans — name at least one economic issue. Thus, while government is the single most frequently named problem on Gallup's Most Important Problem list, economic concerns lead when combined.
Partisans’ Concerns Shift With Party of President
Partisans’ voting priorities have changed significantly between the 2022 midterms, held during Democrat Joe Biden’s presidency, and today, with Republican President Donald Trump in office.
Under Trump, Republicans are less focused on the economy, immigration and crime than they were under Biden. By contrast, Democrats are now significantly more focused on the economy and immigration, with the uptick in concern about immigration likely reflecting Democrats’ strong opposition to several of Trump’s signature immigration policies. The importance Democrats attach to climate change, abortion and crime hasn’t changed significantly.
Comparing current priorities with those in 2018, during Trump’s first term, holds the president’s party constant and thus provides a clearer indication of how partisans’ concerns have changed. Republicans’ ratings of the economy, immigration, healthcare, and income and wealth distribution are similar to 2018. Democrats and independents, however, are now significantly more likely to rate the economy, healthcare, and income and wealth distribution as extremely important to their vote — all up by double digits — while the importance Democrats attach to immigration is unchanged and independents’ is up modestly.
Bottom Line
As Election Day nears, the economy, healthcare and the situation in Iran score highest in importance to voters, while income inequality and gas prices aren’t far behind. But partisan intensity differs, with Democrats far more concerned than Republicans about most issues.
The broader rank order of issues is not markedly different from 2022 but does contrast with 2018 — Trump’s first midterm election year — when immigration and healthcare eclipsed the economy in importance and income inequality was less of a concern.
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