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Voter priorities before 2026

Source reportMethodology

Overview

Inflation and healthcare are the clearest issue priorities in this survey. About 72% say inflation matters when they vote, and 70% say healthcare does.

That does not make voting a one-issue choice. Most adults say they consider several issues together, and nearly 80% say voting in the next presidential election will be very important.

Topline

72% include inflation and 70% include healthcare when voting.

Which of the following issues do you consider when casting your vote in local, state, or federal elections?

  • Inflation 72.3%
  • Healthcare 69.8%
  • Immigration 57.8%
  • Abortion 50.1%
  • Climate and the environment 43.7%
  • Student loans 24.3%

2025 · base n 3,000 · +/- 3.3%

Verasight APSA Omnibus Survey #2025-119

View source data

Inflation and healthcare lead the issue list

Inflation is the most selected voting issue at about 72%, with healthcare close behind at 70%.

Immigration, abortion, and climate also draw substantial shares, which makes the issue picture broad rather than centered on one topic.

Stacked breakdown

80% say voting in the next presidential election is very important.

How important will it be to vote in the next presidential election?

Very important
79.7%
Important
14.7%
Not very important
5.6%

2025 · base n 3,000 · +/- 3.3%

Verasight APSA Omnibus Survey #2025-119

View source data

Most voters describe a multi-issue decision

About 58% say they usually consider several issues together when thinking about their vote.

The stated importance of voting is also high: nearly 80% say voting in the next presidential election will be very important.

Stacked breakdown

51% expect Republicans to win the most House seats in 2026.

Thinking about the upcoming election in 2026, which party do you think will win the most seats in the US House of Representatives?

Democrats
43.4%
Republicans
50.8%
Some other party
5.8%

2025 · base n 3,000 · +/- 3.3%

Verasight APSA Omnibus Survey #2025-119

View source data

Expectations for 2026 lean Republican, but not by a landslide

Registration is closely split between Republicans and Democrats, with a large unaffiliated group also present.

Asked which party will win the most House seats in 2026, 51% say Republicans and 43% say Democrats.

Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Population
US adults age 18+
Field dates
2025-09-22 → 2025-09-29
Base (unweighted)
3,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.3%
Module
Verasight APSA Omnibus Survey #2025-119
Sponsor
Verasight
Weight variable
weight
Weighting targets
age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

Sources

[5]
  • 01
    Which of the following issues do you consider when casting your vote in local, state, or federal elections?Shows which issues adults say they consider when voting.reports.verasight.io/reports/verasight-apsa-omnibus-survey-2025-119
  • 02
    How important will it be to vote in the next presidential election?Establishes the strength of stated voting importance.reports.verasight.io/reports/verasight-apsa-omnibus-survey-2025-119
  • 03
    In thinking about your vote, do you usually:Shows whether voters describe their choice as single-issue or multi-issue.reports.verasight.io/reports/verasight-apsa-omnibus-survey-2025-119
  • 04
    Are you registered to vote, or not?Adds registration context across Republican, Democratic, unaffiliated, and other voters.reports.verasight.io/reports/verasight-apsa-omnibus-survey-2025-119
  • 05
    Thinking about the upcoming election in 2026, which party do you think will win the most seats in the US House of Representatives?Shows expectations for which party will win the most House seats in 2026.reports.verasight.io/reports/verasight-apsa-omnibus-survey-2025-119

Citation

Verasight APSA Omnibus Survey #2025-119, fielded September 22-29, 2025, N=3,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.

https://reports.verasight.io/reports/verasight-apsa-omnibus-survey-2025-119#which-of-the-following-issues-do-you-consider-when-casting-your-vote-in-local-state-or-federal-elections

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. Each wave's specific field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that wave's report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
Every wave is published as a standalone report at verasight.io/reports with full instrument and methodology.
Transparency
AAPOR transparency standards.

Wave-specific methodology, full weighting variable lists, and verbatim instrument text live in each report at verasight.io/reports.