Voters favor Democrats on key issues but distrust both parties: poll
An AP-NORC poll reveals that while voters see Democrats as better equipped to handle issues like cost of living, neither party inspires confidence for long-term problem-solving.
Voters increasingly favor Democrats on critical issues such as the cost of living and healthcare, but a significant majority lack faith in either political party's ability to solve the nation's problems, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.
The survey indicates a growing dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump and the Republican Party heading into the upcoming elections. Democrats have gained a notable advantage on the cost of living, with 38% of registered voters believing they would handle it better compared to 27% who favor Republicans. This marks a shift from February, when the issue was nearly evenly split.
Similarly, Democrats have improved their standing on the economy, with approximately 40% of registered voters now picking them, up from 26% in February. This momentum could benefit Democratic candidates who are challenging an increasingly unpopular president and his party, especially as few Americans approve of Trump's handling of the cost of living and his economic performance.
The poll suggests that voters perceive Republicans as being more focused on the wealthy. About 60% of registered voters feel the description 'focused on helping rich and powerful people' applies very or extremely well to the Republican Party, while only about 30% say the same about the Democratic Party.
Despite this perception, voters express limited confidence that Democrats have their best interests at heart. While Democrats are seen as less corrupt and less focused on the wealthy than Republicans, they are not perceived as more capable of solving problems or focused on ordinary people. Only about 20% of registered voters feel that 'able to solve important problems' or 'focused on helping people like me' accurately describes the Democratic Party, a figure similar to that for the GOP.
This cynicism poses a challenge for both parties, regardless of which one controls Congress. The survey also found that 55% of registered voters consider the Republican Party "too extreme," with 45% saying the same about the Democratic Party. Voters do not widely see strong moderate sentiment within either party.
The poll of 2,140 adults, including 1,766 registered voters, was conducted from September 24-28. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points for adults overall and plus or minus 3.1 percentage points for registered voters.