Polls show heightened voter enthusiasm as U.S. midterms near

With the U.S. midterm elections approaching, new polling and early-voting data indicate strong voter engagement amid close contests for control of Congress.

A Gallup survey found that 56% of U.S. voters were more enthusiastic than usual about casting ballots, while 30% were less enthusiastic and 11% reported their enthusiasm was about the same. The Guardian reported surging early turnout, with Democrats casting more ballots at that stage of voting.

Republicans held a 218-214 advantage in the House, and the Cook Political Report classified 46 House seats as competitive, according to NPR. Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to win back the Senate.

An NPR/PBS News/Marist poll put President Donald Trump’s job approval at 39%, down from 44% at the beginning of his second term. The poll also found that 58% of voters believed construction of data centers by technology companies would negatively affect the country.

Economic conditions remained part of the campaign environment. NPR reported that the national average price of regular gasoline had risen from $2.98 a gallon nearly eight months earlier to $4.30. Political advertising spending for the 2026 elections had reached $10 billion as of the previous week.

In Georgia, the governor’s race between Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms entered its final stretch, with campaign rallies intensifying as voters also considered the state’s U.S. Senate contest and other issues.