US voters favour change as AP-NORC poll points to Democratic midterm advantage

US voters favour Democratic control of Congress and major changes in government, according to an October AP-NORC poll that highlights dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The survey found that about half of registered voters preferred Democratic control of the House or Senate, compared with roughly four in 10 who preferred Republican control of each chamber. Some 15% were undecided.

Conducted from 8 to 12 October, the poll also found Democratic voters more likely than Republicans to describe voting as extremely important. The findings point to an advantage for Democrats, but also reveal substantial public dissatisfaction with both parties.

Living costs dominate voter concerns

The economy and cost of living were the leading concerns among registered voters. Some 85% ranked the economy among the most important election issues, while 84% said the same about living costs.

Those concerns crossed party lines. Among Republicans, 80% placed the economy among their highest priorities and 76% did so for living costs. The corresponding figures for Democrats were 89% and 91%.

Trump’s overall job approval stood at 36%, with 64% disapproving. His ratings were weaker on the issues voters prioritised most: 74% disapproved of his handling of the economy and 79% disapproved of his approach to living costs.

Even among Republican voters, approval was limited to 44% on living costs and 54% on the economy.

“I’m kind of tired of sending people there and nothing gets done,” Krista Kohles, a 70-year-old Republican from near Davey, Nebraska, told the Associated Press. “Nothing’s changing.”

Democrats show greater motivation to vote

The appetite for a different direction extended beyond Democratic voters. Overall, about half of respondents wanted substantial change in how the country is run, while roughly three in 10 wanted complete upheaval. Among Republicans, 45% wanted substantial change and 13% wanted upheaval.

Democrats nevertheless expressed a stronger sense of urgency about participating in the election. Some 76% said voting was extremely important, compared with 63% of Republicans — a 13-percentage-point gap.

A further 15% of Democrats and 27% of Republicans described voting as very important. Across registered voters overall, 65% considered voting extremely important and 21% called it very important.

The distinction matters when interpreting the findings: the survey measures how strongly respondents say they value voting, rather than recording their eventual turnout.

Neither party commands broad enthusiasm

The preference for Democratic congressional control did not translate into widespread approval of the party. About four in 10 registered voters viewed Democrats favourably, while roughly half viewed them unfavourably. Around six in 10 held an unfavourable view of Republicans.

Among independents, about two-thirds viewed Republicans negatively, compared with roughly four in 10 who held a negative view of Democrats.

The AP-NORC survey included 1,119 adults, of whom 925 were registered voters, drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 4.2 percentage points for registered voters and 3.9 points for adults overall.

The results provide an October snapshot of voter preferences and motivation, not an election result. They show Republicans facing discontent over economic leadership, while Democrats’ advantage coexists with considerable scepticism about their own party.