Washington DC [US], November 4 (ANI): Polls began closing across several states in the 2026 US midterm elections as preliminary findings from CNN’s Voter Poll showed that six in 10 voters disapprove of President Donald Trump’s job performance, with rising cost-of-living concerns, economic dissatisfaction and political divisions emerging as key issues shaping voter sentiment.
According to CNN’s Voter Poll, nearly half of the voters who disapproved of Trump’s performance expressed strong disapproval.
The findings also revealed that around one-fifth of voters who backed Trump in the 2024 presidential election now disapprove of his performance.
The poll indicated widespread dissatisfaction with the direction of the country, with roughly three-quarters of voters nationally saying they were dissatisfied or felt worse about the way things were going. Nearly four in 10 described themselves as angry, as per CNN.
Economic concerns featured prominently in the findings, with more than four in 10 voters saying their family’s financial situation had deteriorated compared with two years ago. Only around two in 10 said their circumstances had improved, while the remaining voters reported little change.
The rising cost of essential commodities also emerged as a major concern. Approximately nine in 10 voters said they were either very or somewhat concerned about the prices of petrol and diesel, with a similar proportion expressing concern over groceries, healthcare and utilities, including electricity, natural gas and water.
The concerns come amid a sharp increase in fuel prices following the US launch of the war with Iran in late February. Although Trump has repeatedly said that fuel prices would decline, the average price of petrol nationwide stood at over USD 4 per gallon on Tuesday (local time), CNN reported, citing the American Automobile Association (AAA), significantly higher than the USD 2.98 recorded at the beginning of the conflict.
The preliminary findings further suggested that around two-thirds of voters believed Trump had worsened economic conditions in the country, with most attributing the increase in costs directly to his policies rather than factors beyond his control.
Voters also expressed dissatisfaction with other institutions in Washington, including US Congress and the US Supreme Court, while opinions of both major political parties remained negative.
According to CNN’s Voter Poll, around 71 per cent of voters said Congress was not doing enough to provide checks and balances on the presidency, reflecting concerns about the legislature’s role in holding the executive branch accountable.
On the issue of economic management, Democrats held a slight advantage over Republicans in terms of voter trust, a notable development given the party’s disadvantage on the issue in previous election cycles. Around one-fifth of voters said they trusted neither party to handle the economy.
The concerns reflected in the poll were also echoed by voters on the ground, with several people in Queens, New York, calling for greater political accountability, cooperation across party lines and measures to address the rising cost of living.
A voter in Queens highlighted the need for Congress to act as a check on presidential authority, saying, “I’m hoping that Congress changes. We need a check on the President. We need two Houses of Congress. We need Congress to do their job, not be a rubber stamp. Unfortunately, it’s (the country) being led by somebody who wants to be vindictive and not to be a leader of all the people of the United States.”
Another voter pointed to the growing political divide in the country and called for greater dialogue among people with differing opinions.
“One of the biggest problems is the division in our country. And what we need to do is be able to sit down across the table, so to speak, with our family and our friends and our neighbours and be able to speak about the issues without it getting contentious, without people getting so angry that they want to fight with each other over differences of opinions. But ultimately, we need to find common ground,” the voter said.
Referring to the wider economic and international situation, the voter added, “The sentiment of the Americans is uneasiness with the current state of affairs in the Middle East. And what’s happening here with the high cost of gas, the high cost of food, and the high cost of living in general makes everyone uneasy.”
Meanwhile, Democratic district leader from Queens, Anita Jain, said political divisions and the need for cooperation across party lines were among the major concerns facing the country.
“The biggest problem at present is that our country is divided, and our communities are divided. We do not want to see that in the future. So we need people who can come in these offices, who can bring people together, who can work across the aisle with the other side, and who can have a mutual respect and mutual understanding with each other. And that’s what we are standing here for,” Jain said.
She also urged voters to look beyond party affiliations and assess candidates on their ability to offer solutions.
“I do have a message: please do not go with the party, but see who can bring the solutions on the table for our children, our children’s future, our communities, and our mental health well-being for every American at this point, because America is sick right now,” she added.
Meanwhile, the first polling centres officially closed at 6 pm (local time) in parts of Indiana and Kentucky, marking the beginning of the evening’s exit poll coverage.
Voting concluded in Indiana’s 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th Congressional Districts and Kentucky’s 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Congressional Districts.
Other congressional districts and statewide races in both states were scheduled to close by 7 pm (local time).
Several states also reported strong voter participation. South Carolina said it had already surpassed its previous record for the highest number of voters in a midterm election. In one Ohio county, turnout was on course to exceed the 2022 midterm elections, CNN reported, citing Board of Elections data, while Iowa was anticipating record participation, according to its secretary of state. (ANI)
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