US Midterms: Five Issues Shaping The Vote
The upcoming US midterm elections are being shaped by five key issues, with economic concerns like inflation and the cost of living topping voter priorities. Other significant factors include the ongoing conflict with Iran, immigration, corruption, and the societal impact of artificial intelligence.
Why it matters
These midterms will determine the legislative balance of power for the remainder of the current presidential term, directly influencing US domestic and foreign policy.
Americans voting in the November 3 midterm elections will decide who controls Congress for the final two years of Donald Trump's presidency, along with dozens of governorships and thousands of state offices.The campaign is playing out against an unusually combustible mix of economic anxiety, war, immigration battles, corruption concerns and unease over rapidly expanding artificial intelligence.Polls asking voters about priorities use different methodologies, but they broadly agree on the dominance of pocketbook concerns.A Pew survey found economic issues easily topped voters' worries, while a September Emerson poll put the Iran war, jobs, tariffs, gas prices, immigration and AI regulation among the most important factors in voting decisions.Here are five issues shaping the midterms:It's The EconomyAffordability remains issue number one.Inflation was running at 3.4 per cent in August, but the political problem goes beyond the headline rate, with voters paying more for gasoline, housing, electricity, groceries and borrowing.Pew found 29 per…
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