Epoch Reader Survey Finds Election Integrity, Border Security Top Midterm Issues

As the midterm election approaches, Epoch Times readers are broadly concerned about election integrity, border security, and federal spending, a recent survey found.

What Voters Care About

With polls opening in just weeks for early voting, Americans face the challenge of balancing economic concerns and public safety.

When asked which five issues were most important to them, 71 percent ranked election integrity and voting laws among the top five. Sixty-two percent said border security and immigration enforcement.

Rounding out the top five were federal spending and the national debt, inflation and cost of living, and government efficiency.

When asked how likely they are to vote in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, about 97 percent said they are either certain or very likely to vote.

Just over half (52 percent) of readers are confident that votes in their states will be accurately counted.

Future Financial Prospects

The potential for job opportunities is also something respondents indicated would impact their vote.

When asked how they feel about job opportunities in the United States at this time, 56 percent said they have gotten better.

When asked how jobs have fared in their local community in the last year, 15 percent said job prospects have gotten much better, 30 percent said they have gotten somewhat better, and 43 percent consider the availability of jobs to be largely the same as last year.

This and other economic issues have played a part in the overall financial picture for many. When readers were asked about the financial situation in their household, 51 percent said it’s about the same as a year ago, while 25 percent said it is worse than a year ago.

When asked how they believe their situation will be one year from now, 43 percent believe the situation will be better, and 40 percent believe it will be largely the same.

Cost Comparison

Financial strain is a major concern for many voters heading into the midterms. Rising inflation and fuel prices are playing a role in many voters’ decisions.

Asked what expense has increased the most for their household compared to one year ago, the largest segment of respondents (35 percent) said groceries and household goods. Gasoline and transportation were a close second, with 32 percent.

Readers were asked how much their monthly household expenses have increased over the last year, and over 68 percent said they have some increase, with 24 percent reporting an increase of between $250 and $500. About 24 percent reported an increase of more than $500.

Readers were asked whether their income has kept pace with their expenses, and nearly half (48 percent) said it has fallen behind. About 7 percent said their income has risen faster than expenses.

About 52 percent said they believed inflation and the cost of living are worse than they were a year ago, and about 31 percent said they thought they were roughly the same.

But when asked to assess the economy overall over the past year, nearly 50 percent said it is better than a year ago. The rest were split almost evenly between saying it’s about the same and saying it’s worse.

Federal Issues

The federal ledger and national concerns are also important to many.

Sixty percent of those polled believe that federal spending and national debt are in worse condition than they were one year ago. Another 26 percent are unsure if there is any major change.

Forty-two percent of readers agree that energy production and energy costs are worse, and about 26 percent believe they have improved.

The administration is seen in a positive light when it comes to border security and immigration enforcement. Eighty-eight percent of readers see improvement on those fronts in the past year.

Additionally, 70 percent of readers said they believe the overall direction of the United States is improving, and about 50 percent of readers believe that the federal government’s response to the issues most important to them has improved.

Trump’s Impact on the Nation

When asked about how the current president is doing, 76 percent of readers believe that the president is doing better.

Asked specifically how the Trump administration has handled the war with Iran, 65 percent said very well or somewhat well.

Sixty-three percent of readers believe the military pressure on Iran should be increased, and 12 percent think it should be kept at the current rate.

Asked how they rate Trump’s overall performance as president, 76 percent of readers believe it’s better than one year ago; however, fewer respondents, about 36 percent, support the $5,000 “Trump Dividend,” while 42 percent oppose it. The president said the dividend would be paid to every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans retain the House and Senate.

Jeremy Lott contributed to this report.