The daily commute has become the place where Americans experience inflation most directly, from gas prices and tolls to parking, insurance and childcare.
As such, newly released data from an Audacy study conducted in partnership with YouGov show these “rush-hour voters” could play an outsized role in deciding the midterms.
Working with YouGov, Audacy surveyed 1,000 registered U.S. voters. In doing so, it was determined that the election is increasingly becoming a single-issue race centered on the cost of living. Commuters are feeling that pressure more intensely than anyone else.
Among some of the topline findings:
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Some 54% of likely voters say the cost of living is the single most important issue shaping their vote, outpacing the next issue by nearly 4-to-1.
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Commuters are even more likely to prioritize the economy than voters overall (59% vs. 54%).
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Among commuters who own a home and have children, some 73% say the economy is their top voting issue.
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Three-quarters of Americans say they feel poorer than they did a year ago, while 70% say gas prices have forced them to downgrade their lifestyle.
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The American commute has returned in force, with 78% of employed Americans commuting at least two days a week and 45% commuting five days a week.
The study also examines how these voters consume media and why “audio has become an increasingly important way for campaigns to reach politically engaged commuters.”
That part of the data is likely promotional in nature for Audacy, which operates all-News stations in key DMAs including Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco and is likely relying on political advertising to help boost its revenue portrait for the second half of 2026.
Ray Borelli, Sr. VP of Research & Insights at Audacy, notes, “With the midterm elections looming, the state of the economy isn’t just another issue on the ballot for commuters — it’s a political reckoning. They are at their breaking point, making them highly motivated to show up at the polls and vote for change. They may very well hold the keys to power this November.”
