Millions of Americans will vote on 3 November in elections that will decide control of the Republican-held House of Representatives and Senate, as well as the governorships of 36 states. The midterms come amid public frustration over the rising cost of living, immigration, the climate crisis, artificial intelligence, big tech and the US's overseas wars.
Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to 36%, according to a New York Times/Siena poll conducted this month. Voters across the US described to the Guardian their concerns and disillusionment with the current political climate, with one characterizing the country under the Trump administration as a “rogue nation, ungoverned by the rule of law”.
Cost of Living Pressures Dominate
For many, the cost of living is a central concern, particularly as inflation reaches 3.7%. Kathryn Warren, a retired staff member from Dare county schools who lives on Hatteras Island, North Carolina, said she and her husband had already voted early. “We are dying on the vine in this economy. We live in a remote area and the cost of gas is taking a big chunk of our social security. Groceries and medicine are outrageous. The medicine that keeps me alive costs $7,000 a month before insurance. In what world is that reasonable?” Warren said.
A 36-year-old counsellor in Tennessee described financial pressures compounded by health issues and expressed concern about the US “sliding into an authoritarian state”. “I have a migraine medication that costs nearly $2,000 out-of-pocket for a month’s supply. My health insurance has agreed to pay for five months. That’s it. After 24 years of chronic migraines, I have tried everything under the sun and this is the first medication that has ever reduced the pain levels, so it isn’t like I can try some cheaper, knock-off brand. But I find it absurd and financially prohibitive to spend that much on medication every month,” she said.
Vicki Stein, a 66-year-old retired marketing communications professional from Alpine Township, Michigan, said she had already voted for Democrats across the ticket. “Working Americans can’t afford healthcare, let alone gas nor groceries due to tariffs, and children are losing Snap benefits while we blow our gold on [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s war. We can’t even trust our lettuce under this administration’s [Department of Health and Human Services],” she said, referring to a cyclospora outbreak across 27 states this summer that was traced to contaminated lettuce.
Foreign Policy and the War in Iran
George, a 23-year-old business school graduate in Houston, Texas, linked the affordability crisis to the administration’s policies, criticizing “Trump’s idiotic tariff scheme”. “The priorities of both parties are clearly more in line with billionaires than regular people … It has been heartening to see politicians like [James] Talarico abandon that side of politics to focus on affordability and quality of life for average Americans. Who cares about 1% of the population when everyone is struggling?” George also criticized the US’s war in Iran and called for the US to divest from Israel.
Opposition to the US war in Iran and military aid to Israel remains a driving concern among voters. Joel Young, a 66-year-old retired civil litigator in Albuquerque, New Mexico, said: “The single most important issue in any election for federal office is whether the candidate or incumbent will approve another dollar, weapon, or material to support Israel, or support the US’s historical pattern of cover for Israel’s apartheid regime and program of ethnic cleansing in place since 1948, which has now clearly become genocidal.” A 30-year-old machine operator and father in Bogalusa, Louisiana, who voted for Trump in 2024, also criticized the “evil war against Iran which must end”.
AI, Big Tech and Climate Concerns
Voters also raised concerns about the growing influence of AI and big tech. Dave Neps, a 74-year-old retired teacher in Georgia, said: “I’m … concerned about the AI financial bubble. This market reminds me of the dotcom crash in the late 90s and the financial crash in 2008. My wife and I lost money both times in those markets. Now I’m looking at a pension and a country that’s heavily invested in AI that so many of us don’t want.” Joy, a 47-year-old insurance executive in north Georgia, raised concerns about the expansion of datacenters and the influence of technology companies on local government, calling for datacenter moratoriums.
The climate crisis and environmental protection were also prominent concerns, particularly among older voters. David Tucker, a 57-year-old registered nurse in Washington, said: “The climate crisis and public lands protection are my main concerns, along with protecting democracy and healthcare funding cuts.” Kaye, a 71-year-old resident of Bothell, Washington, said: “While Donald Trump is evil and incompetent in so many ways, the degradation of the planet is my greatest concern as it is larger than all of us and we’re so close to a tipping point that will be catastrophic.”
Immigration, Voter Intimidation and Election Fears
Immigration enforcement and fears of voter intimidation were other major concerns. Katie, a 34-year-old arts professional in Denver, Colorado, pointed to the killings of two Americans, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by federal immigration agents in Minnesota earlier this year. Julie Stielstra, a retired librarian living in rural Kansas, said she was worried about the potential presence of immigration agents and armed individuals at polling stations. Richard Corcoran, a 63-year-old licensed clinical social worker in Lumberton, North Carolina, said: “I do not have faith that the federal government under Trump and Republican control of Congress and the supreme court will respect the outcome of this election.”
Even among voters hoping for a Democratic victory, there was little consensus that the party would be prepared to deliver the changes they want. Several readers expressed concern that Democrats could fail to use a potential congressional majority to enact effective change. Brad Southard, a 54-year-old teacher in Irvine, California, criticized Democratic leaders for focusing “too much on courting the illusive ‘undecided middle’ to the detriment of the needs of working-class people”. Mark, a 68-year-old retiree in Parma, Ohio, said both parties had become too beholden to wealthy interests to represent ordinary Americans, adding: “Both political parties share the blame.”
