Oct 30, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Economy, functioning Democracy lead concerns for majority of voters: Poll

Voters and polling place workers are seen during early voting for the US midterm elections on October 28, 2022 in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Voters and polling place workers are seen during early voting on Oct. 28 in Silver Spring, Md. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

There's a divide about whether a functioning democracy or a strong economy is the biggest concern heading into the midterm elections, a new CBS News battleground tracker out Sunday shows.

Driving the news: Those saying that a functioning democracy is a bigger concern are more likely to support Democrats, while Republicans are more concerned about a strong economy, a finding in line with the midterm messaging by each party, CBS News found.

  • Overall, 56% of likely voters say that a functioning democracy is a bigger concern, while 44% said the same about a strong economy.
  • Plus, nearly eight in 10 likely voters also said that they feel things in the U.S. today are "out of control," compared to 21% saying that things are "under control."

The big picture: With the midterm elections nearly one week away, Democrats are upping attacks related to Social Security and Medicare in a final midterm stretch dominated by signs of a growing red wave, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.

Go deeper ... Officials brace for unprecedented efforts to disrupt 2022 vote

Methodology: The CBS News/YouGov Battleground Tracker survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,119 registered voters interviewed between Oct. 26-28, 2022. The margin of error is ±2.4 points.

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