In recent presidential elections, all but a handful of states have voted consistently for one party or the other. This small number of “swing” states usually determine who becomes president.
A new poll of voters in these seven states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – looked at what issues motivate voters the most. Not surprisingly, many of the most important issues were economic in nature.
“Understanding the key issues that matter most to swing state voters is essential in this last phase of the 2024 election cycle,” said Liz Powell, senior director of Insights at doxo, the firm that conducted the survey.
“From inflation and rising costs of living, to concerns surrounding job security and wages, seven in 10 Americans are worried about their financial health, making economic uncertainty a focal point to sway these pivotal swing state votes.”
Top concerns
When asked which of the biggest issues in this year’s election was the most important, swing state voters ranked their top concerns:
• Economy: (41%)
• Healthcare (23%)
• Abortion/Reproductive Rights (16%)
• Immigration (13%)
• Climate Change (7%)
But those numbers are for all seven swing states. These are the states where these issues are the most important:
• Economy: Pennsylvania (48%) and Arizona (47%)
• Healthcare: Georgia (29%) and North Carolina (27%)
• Abortion/Reproductive Rights: Nevada (20%)
• Immigration: North Carolina (17%)
• Climate Change: Pennsylvania (10%)
When asked if the economy will impact which candidate they intend to vote for, 54% of all swing state voters indicated that it would 46% said that it would not. Voters in Arizona and North Carolina were most focused on economic issues.
The top economic issues
When asked which economic issues are most likely to influence their votes, swing state voters broke it down this way:
• Inflation (40%)
• Household Expenses (35%)
• Wages (20%)
• Unemployment (5%)
When it comes to household expenses, swing state voters are most concerned about:
• Grocery Prices (53%)
• Rent/Mortgage (24%)
• Utilities (14%)
• Auto/Fuel/Transportation (9%)
According to the latest Consumer Price Index, grocery prices rose 0.4% in September and are up 1.3% year-over-year. The cost of housing rose 0.2% last month and is up 4.9% in the last 12 months.
The cost of energy services rose 0.7% in September and is 3.4% higher for the year. Gasoline prices provide the one area of relief, falling 4.1% during September and are down by 15.3% compared to a year ago.