Voters are more “motivated” than they are about their participation in next year’s midterm elections, after the party’s recent successes in state and local contests, such as in the case of New York and his election, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos report, which among other things recorded that the popularity of the Republican president remains stable at 40%.
Democratic voters are more ready to go to the polls
The six-day poll, which closed Wednesday and was conducted over a six-day period, found that 44 percent of registered voters who identify as Democrats said they were “certain” they would vote in the Nov. 3, 2026 election, compared to just 26 percent of Republicans who said the same. About 79% of Democrats said they would regret not voting, compared to 68% of Republicans.
In the elections, voters will decide on all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, as well as 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate. Republicans currently control both houses of Congress.
Strengthened their “morale” in relation to the period after the presidential elections
Democrats, who appeared to have fallen into a “depression” after the presidential election, saw a rebound after the Nov. 4 election, when they won gubernatorial contests in Virginia and New Jersey, as well as the New York City mayoral election.
Voters in California, a state traditionally dominated by Democrats, approved a redistricting measure likely to favor the party, with Gov. Gavin Newsom pitching the move as a counterweight to efforts by Republicans in other states to redraw districts in their favor.
Marginally tied nationally
The midterm elections are still a year away, and the two parties look relatively evenly matched on several fronts. When asked which party they would vote for if the election were held today, 41% of registered voters said they would choose the Democratic candidate, while 40% said they would go Republican — a difference within the poll’s margin of error of three percentage points.
Cost of living, the most pressing issue for voters
Everyday issues appear to be the ones that concern citizens the most, with 45% saying that the most important factor in their vote will be the candidate’s position on the cost of living. On this issue, 38% think the Democrats have a better plan, while 36% prefer the Republicans.
Voters favor Republicans over Democrats (46% vs. 34%) on immigration, but only 14% say it is the critical issue for next year’s election. By contrast, 26% said the most important issue is democratic values and institutions, with Democrats ahead overall, 43% to 34%.
Trump is stagnant
Trump’s approval rating has remained at its lowest level since taking office in January. His approval rating has moved within a percentage point or two of the current level in every Reuters/Ipsos poll since mid-May. The percentage of those who say they disapprove of his performance rose from 52% (in the May 16-18 poll) to 58% in the latest.
The president won last year’s election on promises to tackle rising inflation. However, Americans give him extremely low marks on cost-of-living management, with 62% disapproving of his actions. Inflation has picked up slightly since he took office, while the labor market has weakened.
The poll was completed shortly before Congress voted to end the longest government shutdown in US history. The issue has caused tensions within Democrats, as eight of the party’s senators voted with Republicans to end the impasse over funding.
Democrats’ misgivings are receding
Compared to the beginning of the year, the poll recorded a decrease in the percentage of those who believe that Democrats are headed in the wrong direction. 39% of the party’s voters agreed with the statement that their party had “lost its way”, up from 49% in an August poll. Among Republicans, the share of those who think their party is headed in the wrong direction has remained largely unchanged — 22 percent, up from 19 percent in August.
The poll also found that Democrats view New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Madani, a Democratic socialist, as favorably as California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom — 67 percent to 65 percent, respectively.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online, among a nationwide sample of 1,200 adults in the United States.
