NBC Poll Finds Undecided Voters Torn by High Prices, Not Party

James Morton, a 67-year-old retired truck driver in Colorado, has not decided which party he wants running Congress after November's elections, and he does not like either choice. Morton told NBC News that Democrats have "gone too far to the left towards socialism," while Republicans are "globalists" who "don't care about the working-class people in this country." An independent who voted for Donald Trump in 2024, Morton said he is now leaning toward third-party candidates for the House and Senate.

Who are the undecided voters NBC News talked to?

Morton is one of 16 undecided voters NBC News interviewed after a national poll published Oct. 1, 2026, found that 5% of respondents were unsure which party they wanted controlling Congress. Some of the voters declined to give their full names while discussing politics, according to the outlet. Across the group, NBC News reported little loyalty to either party — voters said they doubt either side understands what matters most to them.

What issue is driving their decision?

Cost of living. Morton said the deciding factor for him is simple: "The No. 1 thing is getting the cost of things back down, inflation under control, and pretty much that's it." He told NBC News that he and his wife have changed what groceries they buy to cope with higher prices. NBC News reported that in its broader poll, voters ranked cost of living and inflation as the most important issue facing the country, ahead of government corruption.

How close is the fight for Congress?

The same NBC News poll found 50% of voters want Democrats to control Congress after the midterms, versus 45% who want Republicans in charge — a gap tight enough that the small bloc of undecided voters could determine not just which party wins a majority but how large that majority is, NBC News reported.

Why does a 5% sliver of voters matter this much?

In a race separated by five points in national preference, a shift of a few percentage points among undecided voters can flip control of narrowly held House and Senate seats. NBC News framed the 16 voters as representative of a wider pattern: frustration with both parties over affordability, even as those same voters disagree sharply on causes and solutions.

What To Watch

• Whether cost-of-living messaging from either party narrows or widens the 50%-45% congressional preference gap NBC News measured.
• How many self-identified independents, like Morton, end up backing third-party House and Senate candidates in November.
• Whether Democratic or Republican campaigns adjust their closing economic pitch to directly address grocery and inflation complaints voiced to NBC News.
• New national polling in the weeks before Election Day for movement among the roughly 5% still undecided.

The original interviews and full poll results are available via NBC News.