Voters headed into Tuesday's midterm elections deeply frustrated with the direction of the country, according to The AP Voter Poll, a large survey of the electorate reported by PBS News. The economy and the state of democracy topped their list of concerns.
About three-quarters of voters said they feel "angry" or "dissatisfied" with the way things are going. Only about a quarter said they feel "satisfied" or "enthusiastic." Dissatisfaction ran especially high in blue states such as California and Massachusetts, but a majority of voters in deep-red states were also at least dissatisfied.
Views of the economy were just as gloomy. Roughly three-quarters rated it "not so good" or "poor," which matches what Americans have told AP-NORC pollsters in recent months.
About 4 in 10 voters named the economy as the most important issue facing the country, and many voiced concern about gas and grocery prices. About 3 in 10 picked the state of democracy. Only about 1 in 10 chose immigration or health care. Roughly half said government corruption and the cost of living were "crucial" to their vote for Congress.
The poll was hard on President Donald Trump's economic record. About two-thirds said his policies have made economic conditions worse, and about the same share said his tariffs have hurt the national economy. About 6 in 10 said Trump puts his personal interests ahead of the country's.
About 8 in 10 said inflation has caused a severe or moderate financial hardship for their household. More than 8 in 10 said they were at least somewhat concerned about the cost of gas, groceries, utilities and health care. Inflation is now higher than when Trump returned to office, the AP noted.
On economic systems, more than half of voters viewed capitalism favorably, compared with about 3 in 10 for socialism.
Sources: PBS News, The Associated Press