(The Center Square) – Inflation remains the issue American voters rank as most important heading into the midterms, with prices topping their list of concerns for a third consecutive poll, a new national poll finds.
The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll found 20% of registered voters named inflation or price increases as the single most important issue facing the country, and 41% ranked it among their top three, more than any other issue on both measures.
kAmx?7=2E:@? 92D E@AA65 E96 =:DE D:?46 |2C49[ H96? `eT ?2>65 :E E96:C E@A 4@?46C?[ C:D:?8 E@ a_T :? yF?6 2?5 9@=5:?8 E96C6 :? pF8FDE] pD 2 E@A\E9C66 :DDF6[ 4@?46C? 62D65 D=:89E=J 7C@> cbT :? yF?6]k^Am
kAm%96 64@?@>J 2?5 ;@3D C2?<65 D64@?5[ ?2>65 E96 E@A :DDF6 3J `aT @7 G@E6CD 2?5 A=2465 2>@?8 E96 E@A E9C66 3J b`T] v@G6C?>6?E 4@CCFAE:@? 7@==@H65 2E hT[ 962=E942C6 2?5 :==682= :>>:8C2E:@? 2E fT 6249] |62DFC65 3J E@A\E9C66 DFAA@CE[ 962=E942C6 5C6H afT[ 8@G6C?>6?E 4@CCFAE:@? abT[ 277@C523=6 9@FD:?8 a`T 2?5 :==682= :>>:8C2E:@? `hT]k^Am
kAmr@?DF>6C AC:46D C@D6 b]cT @G6C E96 `a >@?E9D 6?5:?8 :? yF=J[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 &]$] qFC62F @7 {23@C $E2E:DE:4D[ 62D:?8 D=:89E=J 7C@> b]dT 2 >@?E9 62C=:6C] t?6C8J 4@DED 4=:>365 `c]fT @G6C E96 J62C[ =65 3J 2 ac]eT ;F>A :? 82D@=:?6 AC:46D[ H9:=6 7@@5\2E\9@>6 AC:46D C@D6 a]fT 2?5 D96=E6C 4@DED :?4C62D65 b]aT]k^Am
kAm(6?5J t56=36C8[ 2 ?@?C6D:56?E D6?:@C 76==@H :? 64@?@>:4 DEF5:6D 2E E96 qC@@<:?8D x?DE:EFE:@? 2?5 2 7@C>6C 49:67 64@?@>:DE 2E E96 r@?8C6DD:@?2= qF586E ~77:46[ D2:5 G@E6C 7CFDEC2E:@? CF?D 566A6C E92? E96 >@?E9=J :?7=2E:@? C2E6] !C:46D 7@C 2EE6?E:@?\8C233:?8 :E6>D =:<6 82D@=:?6 92G6 C:D6? C646?E=J[ D96 D2:5[ 2?5 H286D 92G6 ?@E <6AE A246 H:E9 :?7=2E:@?] q6J@?5 E92E[ D96 D2:5[ G@E6CD 2C6 D:>A=J H@C? 5@H? 3J 9@H >F49 E9:?8D 4@DE]k^Am
kAmQtG6?EF2==J[ 2 S`a D2?5H:49 H:== DE@A 36:?8 D9@4<:?8[Q t56=36C8 E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6]k^Am
kAm$96 D2:5 p>6C:42?D 92G6 4@>A=2:?65 7@C J62CD 23@FE E96 4@DE @7 ?646DD:E:6D DF49 2D 9@FD:?8[ 962=E9 42C6 2?5 49:=5 42C6[ 2?5 E92E A@=:E:4:2?D 92G6 =@?8 AC@>:D65 E@ 3C:?8 E9@D6 4@DED 5@H?] Q!6C92AD A6@A=6 92G6 CF? @FE @7 A2E:6?46]Qk^Am
kAm'@E6C 4@?46C?D 92G6 D9:7E65 D:?46 E96 DAC:?8] %2C:77D 2?5 :?E6C?2E:@?2= EC256[ H9:49 `bT @7 G@E6CD 42==65 E96 4@F?ECJVD D:?8=6 >@DE :>A@CE2?E :DDF6 :? |2C49[ 76== E@ bT 3J pF8FDE[ E96 D92CA6DE 5C@A @7 2?J :DDF6 :? E96 A@==] r@?46C? 23@FE :==682= :>>:8C2E:@? 2=D@ 62D65[ 7C@> `_T ?2>:?8 :E E96:C E@A :DDF6 :? |2C49 E@ fT :? pF8FDE] p77@C523=6 9@FD:?8 >@G65 E96 @E96C H2Ji >62DFC65 3J E@A\E9C66 DFAA@CE[ :E 4=:>365 7C@> `dT :? |2C49 E@ a`T :? pF8FDE]k^Am
kAm'@E6CD 2=D@ C2?<65 8@G6C?>6?E 4@CCFAE:@? 2>@?8 E96 4@F?ECJVD E@A 4@?46C?D[ D64@?5 @?=J E@ 64@?@>:4 :DDF6D 3J E@A\E9C66 DFAA@CE] *6E F?=:<6 :?7=2E:@?[ H9:49 E96 8@G6C?>6?E EC24<D E9C@F89 >@?E9=J AC:46 2?5 H286 52E2[ 7656C2= 7C2F5 =@DD6D 2C6 72C =6DD AC64:D6=J >62DFC65]k^Am
kAm(96? E96 &]$] v@G6C?>6?E p44@F?E23:=:EJ ~77:46 AC@5F465 :ED 6DE:>2E6 :? a_ac[ 2 C2?86 @7 Sabb 3:==:@? E@ Sda` 3:==:@? 2 J62C[ :E 42==65 E96 7:8FC6 E96 7:CDE @7 :ED <:?5] vp~ ?@E65 E92E Q?@ C6=:23=6 6DE:>2E6D @7 7C2F5 =@DD6D 27764E:?8 E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E AC6G:@FD=J 6I:DE65]Q vp~ 92D ?@E :DDF65 2 ?6H 8@G6C?>6?E\H:56 6DE:>2E6 D:?46]k^Am
kAm%96 ~77:46 @7 |2?286>6?E 2?5 qF586E 92D D2:5 :E :D 5:77:4F=E E@ <?@H E96 6I24E 7:8FC6 3FE E92E 2??F2= 7C2F5 =@DD6D 92G6 366? Q6?@C>@FD[ 46CE2:?=J ?F>36C:?8 :? E96 9F?5C65D @7 3:==:@?D[Q 2? ~|q DA@<6D>2? kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?2E:@?2=^2CE:4=60fa`7ed35\bd6a\c_`4\g4b7\beahheede223]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmAC6G:@FD=Jk^2mk^DEC@?8m E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6] vp~ 92D D2:5 :E 92D ?@ A=2?D E@ FA52E6 E96 6DE:>2E6[ :? A2CE 3642FD6 :E C64@>>6?565 E96 %C62DFCJ s6A2CE>6?E 56G6=@A 2? 2AAC@249 7@C AC@5F4:?8 @?6 8@:?8 7@CH2C5]k^Am
kAm%96 =2E6DE '@E6CDV '@:46 !@== 7:?5:?8D EC24< H:E9 @E96C ?2E:@?2= A@==:?8] p !6H #6D62C49 r6?E6C DFCG6J 4@?5F4E65 yF=J e\`a 7@F?5 E92E 64@?@>:4 :DDF6D 5@>:?2E65 H96? G@E6CD H6C6 2D<65[ H:E9@FE 2 =:DE E@ 49@@D6 7C@>[ H92E E96J >@DE H2?E65 E@ 962C 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 42?5:52E6D 5:D4FDD] }62C=J E9C66 :? `_ ?2>65 E96 64@?@>J[ :?4=F5:?8 `dT H9@ 4:E65 E96 4@DE @7 =:G:?8 @C 277@C523:=:EJ[ 7@==@H65 3J 8@G6C?>6?E 6E9:4D 2?5 C67@C>[ :>>:8C2E:@? 2?5 962=E942C6]k^Am
kAmx?7=2E:@? E@AA65 E96 =:DE 24C@DD A2CEJ =:?6D[ ?2>65 E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E :DDF6 3J a`T @7 #6AF3=:42?D[ abT @7 :?56A6?56?ED 2?5 `fT @7 s6>@4C2ED] %96 A2CE:6D 5:G6C865 @? H92E 42>6 ?6IE] #6AF3=:42?D H6C6 >@C6 =:<6=J E@ 4:E6 :==682= :>>:8C2E:@? 2?5 ?2E:@?2= D64FC:EJ[ H9:=6 s6>@4C2ED >@C6 @7E6? ?2>65 8@G6C?>6?E 4@CCFAE:@? 2?5 962=E942C6]k^Am
kAm%96 (9:E6 w@FD6 A@:?E65 E@ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>AVD a_ac 6=64E:@? 2D E96 567:?:E:G6 >62DFC6 @7 AF3=:4 @A:?:@?]k^Am
kAmQ%96 F=E:>2E6 A@== H2D }@G6>36C dE9 a_ac H96? ?62C=J g_ >:==:@? p>6C:42?D @G6CH96=>:?8=J 6=64E65 !C6D:56?E %CF>A E@ 56=:G6C @? 9:D A@AF=2C 2?5 4@>>@?D6?D6 286?52[Q (9:E6 w@FD6 DA@<6D>2? s2G:D x?8=6 E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 ?@ AC6D:56?E :? 9:DE@CJ 925 244@>A=:D965 >@C6 7@C E96 p>6C:42? A6@A=6[ 4:E:?8 H@C< E@ Q4C62E6 ;@3D[ 4@@= :?7=2E:@?[ :?4C62D6 9@FD:?8 277@C523:=:EJ[ 2?5 >@C6]Q w6 2=D@ D2:5 E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@?VD 286?52 Q4@?E:?F6D E2<:?8 67764E]Qk^Am
kAm%96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 '@E6CDV '@:46 !@== H2D 4@?5F4E65 3J }@3=6 !C65:4E:G6 x?D:89ED 7C@> pF8] `a\`e[ DFCG6J:?8 a[dbb C68:DE6C65 &]$] G@E6CD] %96 D2>A=6 :?4=F565 hb_ #6AF3=:42?D[ hb_ s6>@4C2ED[ 2?5 efb x?56A6?56?ED] p>@?8 :?56A6?56?E G@E6CD[ bb_ C6DA@?56?ED H6C6 4=2DD:7:65 2D %CF6 x?56A6?56?ED[ @C :?5:G:5F2=D H9@ 5@ ?@E =62? E@H2C5 6:E96C >2;@C A2CEJ H96? 8:G6? E96 49@:46]k^Am
kAm%96 A@==VD >2C8:? @7 6CC@C :D Z^\ a]_T]k^Am