{
  "id": 12095563,
  "title": "US midterms: Five issues shaping the vote",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/us-midterms-five-issues-shaping-the-vote-12095563",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-05T06:58:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/news/world/2026-10-05-us-midterms-five-issues-shaping-the-vote/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The November 3 midterm elections will determine which party controls Congress during the remaining two years of President Donald Trump's tenure, as well as various governorships and state offices. Voters are grappling with a complex mix of issues, including economic anxiety, war, immigration, corruption concerns, and unease over rapidly expanding artificial intelligence.\n\nEconomic worries are at the forefront, with inflation currently at 3.4 percent. The cost of essentials like gasoline, housing, electricity, groceries, and borrowing is weighing heavily on voters. A Pew survey found that 29 percent of respondents mentioned economic concerns as their top priority, significantly more than any other category. Another study by the Joseph Rainey Center for Public Policy revealed that 57 percent of voters placed groceries, gas, or utilities among their top three issues.\n\nThe ongoing conflict with Iran has added to Americans' financial concerns, driving up energy costs and becoming deeply unpopular. A recent Emerson poll found that the Iran war was the most important issue among those surveyed, while a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed only 34 percent approving of President Trump's handling of the situation.\n\nThe administration's handling of immigration is also a contentious issue, with 55 percent disapproving of President Trump's approach. President Trump's promise of mass deportations has faced criticism over aggressive ICE operations and other enforcement tactics, leading to a significant shift in public opinion regarding party trust on the matter.\n\nPresident Trump's use of the office has become an election issue as well. He has asked voters to treat him as if he were on the ballot, making the election partly a referendum on his potential second term. Government ethics ranked second behind the economy in Pew's open-ended survey, with 97 percent of Americans believing there is at least some corruption in the federal government and 66 percent expressing little or no trust in Trump to avoid using the presidency to benefit his family's businesses.\n\nArtificial intelligence has emerged as a new frontier in the campaign, with voters expressing concerns about job losses, safety, regulation, and the environmental impact of data centers. Almost half of Americans reported being very concerned about AI's role in the economy, while 50 percent believed data centers were detrimental to household energy costs and 54 percent found them environmentally harmful. AI regulation narrowly trailed immigration and gas prices in Emerson's September survey, indicating its growing importance in the political landscape.\n\nWhile culture-war issues like transgender rights and healthcare remain relevant, they haven't driven the national midterm campaign as strongly as affordability, Iran, and immigration. However, these topics continue to mobilize parts of both parties' coalitions, reflecting the diverse nature of American voters' priorities as they head into the midterm elections.",
  "summary": "Americans voting in the November 3 midterm elections will decide who controls Congress for the final two years of Donald Trump's presidency, along with dozens of governorships and thousands of state offices.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV",
        "title": "US Midterms: Five Issues Shaping The Vote",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/us-midterms-five-issues-shaping-the-vote",
        "published": "2026-10-05T05:29:12.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}