AP-NORC: Eight in 10 voters want major change before midterms
A new AP-NORC poll finds 80% of adults want substantial change or total upheaval in how the country is run, with President Trump at 36% job approval and cost of living topping voter concerns less than three weeks before the Nov. 3 midterms.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released an Oct. 15 survey of 1,119 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 8–12. On how much change people want in how the country is run, 80% chose substantial change or complete and total upheaval (47% substantial, 33% upheaval), with 19% wanting no change or only a small change. The overall margin of sampling error is ±3.9 percentage points.
Why it matters
The finding lands less than three weeks before the Nov. 3 midterms, with Republicans holding the House and Senate. AP-NORC said 85% of voters name the economy and 84% name the cost of living among the most important issues for their vote. Trump's job approval sits at 36%, with 64% disapproving.
More context
From the topline: Seventy-four percent disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy and 79% disapprove of his handling of the cost of living, per AP-NORC's summary. Crime is a relatively stronger issue for him, with 45% approving. Nearly half of voters prefer Democrats to control the House (47%) and Senate (46%), versus 38% who prefer Republicans to keep both chambers; 15% are unsure.
How outlets framed it: AP led with voters who are "frustrated with Trump" and "overwhelmingly want change." Fox News, publishing its own Oct. 9–12 poll of 1,202 registered voters (±2.5 points) the night before, led with Trump's "record-low" 36% approval in Fox surveys and a generic House ballot of 54% Democratic to 45% Republican. Both polls put cost of living and inflation at the center of the midterm mood.
Readings from each side: Democrats can point to the desire for change while their party is out of power in Congress, plus the Fox generic-ballot lead. Republicans can note that Fox pollster Daron Shaw said the country remains closely divided and that "Republicans have time to close these apparent gaps, but it's getting late," and that AP-NORC still shows undecided voters on chamber control.
What remains unknown: whether the appetite for "change" becomes Democratic gains on Nov. 3, how much turnout among soft partisans moves, and whether late shifts on inflation or foreign policy reshape the race. What would change the story: a clear tightening or widening in late horse-race polls, or a major economic or war development before Election Day.
4 listed sources
- AP-NORC Center, Ahead of the midterms, most voters cite the economy and cost of living as top issues and favor political change, Oct. 15, 2026
- AP-NORC, October 2026 Topline – Issues, Oct. 8–12, 2026
- AP News (Steve Peoples and Linley Sanders), Voters want change as Trump struggles before midterms, Oct. 15, 2026
- Fox News (Dana Blanton), Fox News Poll: Cost-of-living concerns weigh on GOP midterms, Oct. 14, 2026
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
Figures below come from the AP-NORC Center project page and Oct. 8–12 topline (1,119 adults, ±3.9 points). Fox News published a separate Oct. 9–12 registered-voter poll the evening before; both show Trump near 36% approval. A poll is a snapshot, not a forecast.
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