Young Voters Prioritized the Economy, Sought Drastic Political Change

The economy was far and away the top issue for young voters in the 2026 midterm elections and—alongside other key issues— it had a major impact on their choices at the ballot box.

Fifty-two percent of young voters chose “the economy and jobs” as one of the top three issues facing the country. Health care, another issue with significant economic implications, ranked second: it was chosen by 42% of youth. The war in Iran (27%), immigration (26%), education (21%), and climate change (20%) were the only other issues chosen by more than one in five young people.

The economy is also young voters’ long-term concern. When asked about the most important issue for the United States in the next five years, “improving the economic wellbeing of Americans” was overwhelmingly young voters’ top answer.

Health care was an even bigger issue for young people who voted for a Democrat in their 2026 U.S. House race: 49% chose it as a top issue, compared to 29% of youth who voted Republican. So were issues like climate change (25% vs. 9%) and racism (22% vs. 9%). Meanwhile, young Republican voters were more likely than young Democratic voters to prioritize immigration (39% vs. 21%), crime (27% vs. 13%), and the national debt (26% vs. 16%).

Examining the vote choice of youth who prioritized each issue further reveals the salience of various concerns in young voters’ electoral participation. Young people who chose climate change, racism, and health care were most likely to support a Democratic House candidate in the 2026 midterms. Meanwhile, compared to their peers who prioritized other issues, youth who chose crime, immigration, and the national debt, were the most likely to vote for a Republican. Young voters who chose crime as a top issue were the only issue-based group in which a majority voted Republican.

For many youth, their economic worries are a product of their own experiences and struggles. Close to a third of young voters (29%) said they are “falling behind” economically and more than half (55%) said they are “holding steady.” Only 15% said that they are “getting ahead.” Young people’s financial situation also played a major role in their vote choice. Young voters who are getting ahead split their vote evenly: 51% for Democrats and 46% for Republicans. On the other hand, 64% of young voters who are merely holding steady and 73% of those who said they’re falling behind voted for a Democratic House candidate.

The vast majority of young people are usually not single-issue voters, and many are worried about both economic matters and other issues affecting their communities. In fact, while economic concerns are most prevalent, nearly half of young voters (47%) also said that they could vote for a candidate that has different economic views from their own. Young voters were much less likely to say they could vote for a candidate with different views on abortion (34%) or immigration (39%), which underscores that a majority of youth find those issues non-negotiable at the ballot box.

Economic Issues Cut Across Race and Gender

Despite the notable gender gap in youth vote choice in the 2026 midterms, young male and female voters had relatively similar issue priorities. Both cited the economy and jobs as their top concern at a nearly identical rate, and also prioritized issues like immigration, education, and climate change to the same extent. Young women were more likely to choose health care (44% vs. 38% of young men) and abortion (21% vs. 12%) as priorities. Meanwhile, young men were more likely to pick the war in Iran (31% vs. 23% young women) and the national debt (23% vs. 17%) as major priorities.

There were a few more differences by race/ethnicity. All groups chose the economy and jobs as a top priority, but Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth were much more likely to choose it as a major concern. Young AAPI voters were also more likely to select the war in Iran as a top issue priority, and much less likely to choose abortion. Young Black voters were more likely to name racism and crime as top issues, and young Latino voters were much more likely to choose immigration.

There were a few more differences by race/ethnicity. All groups chose the economy and jobs as a top priority, but Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth were much more likely to choose it as a major concern. Young AAPI voters were also more likely to select the war in Iran as a top issue priority, and much less likely to choose abortion. Young Black voters were more likely to name racism and crime as top issues, and young Latino voters were much more likely to choose immigration.

Beyond Issues: Youth Disapprove of Trump and Want Change

Midterm elections are often viewed as a referendum on the party in power, and that appears to be the case when it comes to the youth vote in the 2026 midterms.

Nearly two-thirds (67%) of young voters said they somewhat or strongly disapprove of President Trump—the highest level of presidential disapproval of any age group. Among youth who disapprove of the president, 83% voted for a Democratic House candidate in the 2026 midterms. Notably, even among those who approve of the president’s performance in office, 25% also voted for a Democratic candidate.

Disapproval of President Trump also seems to have blunted support for Republicans among some of the groups that were key to his relative success with young voters in 2024. Fifty-nine percent of young white male voters disapprove of the President, as do 65% of young Latino men who cast a ballot.

Among youth who had voted for President Trump in 2024 and voted in the 2026 midterm elections, 16% voted for a Democratic House candidate.

Young people also want major changes in American politics, which also led many of them to vote against the party in power. Forty-six  percent of young voters said they want “substantial change” in how the country is run, and 37% want “complete and total upheaval”---a total of 83%. Seventy-one percent of those youth who want significant or total change voted for a Democratic House candidate in 2026