Voters reveal top issues on eve of midterms, new poll finds

(NewsNation) — A NewsNation and Decision Desk HQ poll of registered voters found inflation is the issue most are weighing as they decide who to cast their ballots for. A majority also said they are more motivated to vote in this midterm than in previous midterm cycles.

The survey of 1,017 registered voters was conducted between Oct. 28 and 31 via an online panel. Margins of error vary per question because the number of people who answered each question is different (learn more about why margins of error matter here).

See the full results of the poll below:

Question 1: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president? (Margin of Error: 3.02%)

Strongly approve: 20.81%
Somewhat approve: 23.35%
Somewhat disapprove: 15.74%
Strongly disapprove: 40.11%

Question 2: Thinking about issues facing the country today, how concerned are you about the COVID-19 pandemic? (Margin of Error: 2.93%)

Very concerned: 26.18%
Somewhat concerned: 34.10%
Not too concerned: 23.82%
Not at all concerned: 15.90%

Question 3: Which of the following do you think is a bigger threat to the United States today? (Margin of Error: 2.97%)

Russia: 36.91%
China: 29.81%
Iran: 2.18%
North Korea: 10.80%
Afghanistan: 1.61%
Other: 5.78%
Not sure: 12.92%

Question 4: And how concerned are you about inflation? (Margin of Error: 2.89%)

Very concerned: 67.42%
Somewhat concerned: 26%
Not too concerned: 4.45%
Not at all concerned: 2.12%

Question 5: Which do you think is a bigger problem facing the United States today: Inflation, unemployment, crime, or COVID-19? (Margin of Error: 2.92%)

Inflation: 65.68%
Unemployment: 6.27%
COVID-19: 10.58%
Crime: 17.47%

Question 6: How likely are you to vote in the 2022 midterm elections? (Margin of Error: 2.64%)

Very likely: 75.96%
Somewhat likely: 15.31%
Not very likely: 5.27%
Not at all likely: 3.46%

Question 7: How do you plan on casting your ballot to vote in the 2022 midterm elections? (Margin of Error: 2.88%)

I plan on voting early, by mail: 24.23%
I plan on voting early, in person: 23.26%
I plan on voting in person on Election Day: 32.17%
I already voted early by mail: 6.18%
I already voted early in person: 4.62%
I don’t plan on voting: 4.78%
Not sure: 4.76%

Question 8: How did you cast your ballot to vote in the 2020 elections? (Margin of Error: 2.97%)

I voted early, by mail: 36.30%
I voted early, in person: 26.47%
I voted in person on Election Day: 27.83%
I did not vote: 9.40%

Question 9: Which do you think should be a stronger priority: making sure that no one who is eligible to vote is prevented from doing so, or making sure that no one is able to commit voter fraud? (Margin of Error: 3.08%)

Making sure that no one who is eligible to vote is prevented from doing so: 39.21%
Making sure that no one is able to commit voter fraud: 51.64%
Not sure: 9.15%

Question 10: Compared to previous midterm elections, how motivated are you to vote in the 2022 midterm elections this November? (Margin of Error: 2.94%)

More motivated: 65.31%
Less motivated: 7.31%
Neither more nor less motivated: 27.38%

Question 11: How closely would you say you’ve been following elections for offices outside of the state you are registered to vote in? (Margin of Error: 3.03%)

Very much: 32.17%
Moderately: 41.48%
Not much: 18.62%
Not at all: 7.73%

Question 11a: And which of the following elections outside of your state would you say you have been following most closely during the 2022 midterm cycle? (Margin of Error: 3.1%)

The Georgia Senate race: 19.19%
The Pennsylvania Senate race: 24.77%
The Nevada Senate race: 2.86%
The Ohio Senate race: 4.79%
The Florida Senate race: 15.36%
The Wisconsin Senate race: 3.45%
The Arizona Senate race: 5.47%
None of these: 24.11%

Question 12: Thinking of the 2022 midterm elections, which of the following would be the most important factor in deciding who you vote for? (Margin of Error: 3.06%)

Abortion: 17.43%
Crime: 9.56%
Inflation: 44.50%
Immigration: 8.60%
Climate change/ energy policy: 6.01%
Policies focused on race: 2.78%
Education: 3.24%
Foreign policy: 1.80%
None of these: 6.08%

Question 13: Thinking more about the 2022 congressional elections, how important is the issue of inflation in making your decision about who to vote for? (Margin of Error: 3.03%)

Very important: 59.55%
Somewhat important: 30.39%
Not too important: 6.18%
Not at all important: 3.88%

Question 14: Which party do you trust to do a better job handling the economy and inflation? (Margin of Error: 3.05%)

The Republican party: 43%
The Democratic party: 35.43%
Neither party: 14.52%
Not sure: 7.05%

Question 15: How much trust do you have in the accuracy of the results of the 2022 midterm elections? (Margin of Error: 3.03%)

A great deal: 40.68%
A fair amount: 37.70%
Not very much: 16.26%
None at all: 5.36%

Question 16: How secure do you believe mail-in voting to be, as a method of voting in an election? (Margin of Error: 3%)

Very secure: 38.83%
Somewhat secure: 29.67%
Not very secure: 16.49%
Not secure at all: 15.02%

Question 17: And what percent of mail-in ballots submitted in US elections would you say are fraudulent? (Margin of Error: 2.99%)

Less than 1 percent: 37.48%
1 to 5 percent: 22.30%
5-10 percent: 16.31%
10 to 15 percent: 9.75%
15 percent or higher: 14.15%

Question 18: Which of the following would you most support as a reform to increase the security of mail–in voting? (Margin of Error: 2.71%)

Limiting mail-in voting to military and Americans living overseas: 12.32%
Limiting mail-in voting to only a very limited series of circumstances or situations: 17.70%
Closing loopholes that allow for legal ballot harvesting: 14.68%
Expanding safeguards, such as signature verification: 26.06%
Universalizing voting by mail as the default way of casting a ballot in every state: 13.57%
None of these: 15.67%

Question 19: Which of the following would you most support as a reform to promote election security? (Margin of Error: 2.53%)

Requiring a voter verifiable paper audit trail for every vote cast: 17.79%
Conducting election audits when confirming election outcomes: 11.79%
Banning the availability of electronic ballots for specific groups: 4.71%
Passing laws that prevent state legislatures from overruling the outcomes of the popular vote: 19.44%
Crosscheck voter registrations nationwide and eliminate duplicates: 21.46%
Using federal funds to update election infrastructure in every state: 10.67%
None of these: 14.14%

Question 20: Overall, would you say you are better or worse off financially than you were about a year ago? (Margin of Error: 3.08%)

Better off: 19.73%
Worse off: 47.07%
Neither better or worse off: 33.20%

Question 21: Thinking about other topics, if the election for the U.S. Congress in your district was held today, which of the following candidates would you most likely vote for? (Margin of Error: 3.07%)

The Republican candidate: 44.67%
The Democratic candidate: 43.44%
A third party candidate: 5.95%
Would not vote: 5.95%

Question 22: What is the highest degree or level of school you have completed? If you’re currently enrolled in school, please indicate the highest degree you have received. (Margin of Error: 2.95%)

Post-graduate degree: 12.88%
Bachelor’s degree: 25.78%
Some college or associate’s degree: 25.66%
High school diploma or less: 35.68%

Question 23: Which political party do you most closely identify with? (Margin of Error: 2.98%)