NBC News poll: Democrats lead in congressional preference as voters express economic concerns

(NBC NEWS)- The survey finds 70% of registered voters believe the country is on the wrong track, while 60% disapprove of President Donald Trump’s job performance.

A new NBC News poll finds more registered voters prefer Democrats to control Congress than Republicans heading into Tuesday’s midterm elections, as dissatisfaction with the economy and the country’s direction remains high.

The survey, conducted October 28-30, found 52% of registered voters prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress, compared with 45% who favor Republican control. Another 3% were unsure.

The seven-point difference is the largest Democratic advantage recorded in the poll’s congressional preference question during 2026.

In September, Democrats held a 50% to 45% advantage. In June, the margin was 49% to 44%.

The latest findings come as 70% of respondents say the country is headed in the wrong direction, while 25% believe it is headed in the right direction.

Trump approval falls to 40%

The poll found 40% of registered voters approve of President Donald Trump’s job performance, while 60% disapprove.

Among those surveyed, 51% strongly disapprove, compared with 24% who strongly approve.

Trump’s approval rating was 41% in September, 42% in June and 44% in March.

The survey also asked voters how much change they would like to see in the direction Trump has been leading the country.

Half of respondents who received that question said they want a great deal of change, while another 14% said they want quite a bit.

In a separate question, 64% said Trump has fallen short of their expectations, compared with 34% who said he has lived up to them.

Cost of living tops voters’ concerns

Inflation and the cost of living ranked as the most important issue facing the country, with 25% selecting it as their first choice.

Government corruption followed at 20%, while 15% identified threats to democracy as their top concern.

Immigration and border security received 10%, followed by the war with Iran at 8% and jobs and the economy at 7%.

When respondents were allowed to name both their first and second most important issues, inflation and the cost of living appeared in 47% of responses.

The survey also found widespread dissatisfaction with the national economy.

Among respondents asked about economic conditions, 50% said they were very dissatisfied and another 23% said they were somewhat dissatisfied.

Only 26% described themselves as very or somewhat satisfied.

Voters expressed a more divided assessment of their personal finances. In a separate question, 49% said they were satisfied with their own financial situation, while 51% expressed dissatisfaction.

Neither political party receives broadly positive ratings

Despite Democrats holding an advantage in congressional preference, the poll found negative impressions of both major political parties.

The Republican Party received positive ratings from 38% of registered voters and negative ratings from 50%.

The Democratic Party received positive ratings from 29%, compared with negative ratings from 52%.

On individual issues, voters were also divided over which party would do a better job.

Republicans held an 11-point advantage on immigration, with 45% choosing Republicans and 34% choosing Democrats.

On the economy, 39% selected Republicans and 37% selected Democrats.

Both parties received 39% on protecting democracy.

Interest in the election remains high

The NBC News poll found 63% of registered voters rated their interest in Tuesday’s elections at the highest possible level on a 10-point scale.

That compares with 59% in September and 58% in June.

The survey also asked whether respondents had already voted or intended to vote early.

As of October 28-30, 41% said they had already cast their ballots, including 26% who voted early in person and 15% who voted by mail.

Another 16% said they planned to vote early, while 39% expected to vote at the polls on Election Day.

These figures reflect responses from registered voters nationwide, not official election turnout totals.

About the poll

The NBC News survey was conducted October 28-30, 2026, by Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies.

Researchers interviewed 1,000 registered voters, including 700 through live telephone interviews and 300 through an online survey sent by text message.

The margin of sampling error for the full sample was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Some questions were asked of approximately half the respondents and carried a larger margin of error of plus or minus 4.38 percentage points.

The poll measures national voter attitudes and does not provide results for individual congressional races or states.