79% Reported Inflation Hardship. No New Price Was Measured.

On Election Day, a large voter survey put household economics at the front of the midterms. The BBC reported Wednesday, Nov. 4, that 39% of respondents named the economy the top issue and 32% named the state of democracy. SSRS collected the poll for a news consortium, covering more than 79,000 people, including early voters and Election Day exits. The BBC said the shares are estimates and may be updated.

The financial answers were bleak, and they are opinions rather than a new price index. Seventy-five percent called the national economy not so good or poor. Forty-four percent said their family finances were worse than two years ago, 38% about the same and 18% better. Seventy-nine percent said inflation had caused severe or moderate hardship in the past year. Fifty-nine percent were very concerned about petrol and diesel costs, and 58% said the same about food and groceries.

Sixty-five percent said President Trump's policies had worsened the economy. Sixty-two percent blamed higher-than-usual prices more on those policies than on factors beyond his control. Those are voter attributions, not a measured split of the inflation rate. The poll does not show that a bill changed on Nov. 4.

Does this poll mean U.S. grocery or fuel prices rose on Election Day? No new price index was published. It shows what voters said mattered and how they described hardship, not a fresh receipt or pump price.