US midterms open as cost of living tops voter concerns and Trump faces backlash

Voting has opened in more than eight US states as the country begins a midterm election that will help determine control of Congress for the final two years of Donald Trump's term. Early reporting and polling suggest the cost of living is the dominant issue for many voters. The election is also being shaped by widespread frustration with Trump, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted in the days before polling day.

The poll surveyed 1,765 adults nationwide from Thursday to Monday and carried a margin of error of three percentage points among registered voters. It found that 48% of registered voters named the cost of living as the main issue guiding their choice, ahead of democratic norms at 26% and immigration at 13%. The same survey found that 48% of people who planned to vote, or had already voted, said their ballot was a message against Trump, compared with 25% who said they were voting in support of him.

The findings point to a contest in which domestic economic pressure is competing with broader political anger. Fuel prices in the United States have risen sharply since the start of the war between the United States and Israel against Iran in February, adding to the cost-of-living debate. Trump has urged supporters to act as if he were on the ballot in an effort to boost Republican turnout, while also arguing that the military campaign was needed to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

The poll also suggests that confidence in the voting process remains relatively high, even as concerns about fraud persist. Seventy-seven percent of respondents said they were confident their votes would be counted, but 45% said they believed election fraud is a widespread problem. Trump has falsely claimed that large numbers of non-citizens vote illegally, and election officials have expressed concern that the government could interfere with the election or the certification of results.

The midterms are being watched closely because they will shape the balance of power in Congress during the remainder of Trump's presidency. The result will influence how easily his administration can advance its agenda over the next two years. It will also test whether economic concerns outweigh partisan loyalty and the wider backlash reflected in the polling.

What remains unclear is how the early voting pattern will translate into final results across the states now voting. The poll gives a snapshot of voter sentiment, but it does not predict turnout or the outcome in individual races. The next key development will be the closing of polls and the first official counts, which will show whether the cost-of-living message and anti-Trump sentiment are enough to shift control of Congress.

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