Google Trends has ranked the most-searched-for issues ahead of the crucial midterm elections. The search giant based its results on several topics – wages, social security, healthcare, unemployment, abortion, inflation, and the war in Ukraine.
The data reveals what voters have been searching for most over the course of the last week.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 34 seats out of 100 in the US Senate are up for grabs on 8 November.
More than 1,200 candidates are running.
As of Thursday morning, wages is the top topic in most US states, but with some exceptions. Other issues often seen near the top in the rankings of search interest are social security and healthcare.
In Maine, the top issues are social security and healthcare after recently passing wages in the rankings. In neighbouring New Hampshire, the war in Ukraine recently went from fifth place to first, beating out social security and wages.
While wages remained near the top in most states, it has recently been surpassed by other issues in a few states.
Healthcare was the top issue in New Jersey and Alaska.
In Virginia, abortion has been more searched-for compared to other states, with the issue going from third to second place during the last week.
In West Virginia, abortion shot up to the number one spot.
In Massachusetts, abortion moved from the fifth most searched topic on the list to second, while social security dropped from second to fifth. Abortion had a similar rise in interest in Ohio, Indiana, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Louisiana.
In Vermont and South Dakota, unemployment took the top spot amid a sudden rise in interest.
In Colorado, the Ukraine war jumped from fifth to second place in a recent surge. In California, the Ukraine war was also in second place amid relatively sustained interest in the topic.
In Idaho, the war in eastern Europe claimed the top spot, as healthcare came in second with wages dropping to third.
In Wyoming, wages dropped from first to third as healthcare and abortion took the top two spots.
Washington state appeared to be the only state where inflation made it onto the list of the five most searched-for issues over the last week.
During the pandemic, one of the most searched-for topics was unemployment, but the issue has been declining in interest as the unemployment levels have decreased.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US unemployment rate was 3.5 per cent in September, matching its lowest level in five decades.
“Notable job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality and in health care,” the bureau said in a press release.
Abortion became the most searched-for issue after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v Wade at the end of June.
In seven states, abortion never surpassed wages as the most searched issue – Washington, Minnesota, Connecticut, Virginia, California, Mississippi, and Texas, Newsweek noted.
In three states, abortion didn’t pass the Ukraine war in interest – Montana, Michigan, and Alabama.
According to FiveThirtyEight, the race for the senate is a “dead heat” with Democrats winning in 54 out of 100 simulated outcomes and Republicans winning 46.
The GOP is “favoured” to gain the House, winning 81 out of 100 forecasted results, compared to 19 for the Democrats.
