With just 19 days left before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, voters across the political spectrum say they are looking for “substantial change,” and some are calling for “complete and total upheaval,” according to a new Associated Press-NORC poll.
The survey of 1,119 adults, conducted between Oct. 8 and Oct. 12, found that about half of respondents want to see a change in how the country is run.
The poll arrives as President Donald Trump continues to face consistently low approval ratings, with his administration contending with scandals, soaring prices and dissatisfaction with the war in Iran.
But the appetite for change is not limited to Democrats.
Nearly half of Republicans, 45%, said they are hoping for “substantial change” in the midterms, while 13% of GOP respondents chose the “complete and total upheaval” option, the poll found.
Democrats, meanwhile, are even more eager for a shake-up. Among Democratic respondents, 47% said they want substantial change, while 50% said they are looking for complete and total upheaval.
Still, the poll suggests that the desire for change is not translating into enthusiasm for the Democratic Party.
Even as Republicans express interest in a new direction, voters do not appear to be embracing what Democrats are offering, according to the AP.
Overall, about 4 in 10 voters said they hold a “very” or “somewhat” favorable view of the Democratic Party, while about half view the party unfavorably.
Those numbers are roughly similar to how voters see the Republican Party, although the GOP fares somewhat worse, with about 6 in 10 voters viewing Republicans unfavorably.
The findings paint a picture of an electorate that is frustrated with the status quo but not sold on either major party heading into November.
Independent voters, a key bloc in any midterm election, are particularly cool toward Republicans. Two-thirds of independents said they hold a negative view of the GOP, according to the poll.
Democrats are not escaping independent skepticism either, with 4 in 10 independents viewing the Democratic Party negatively, the poll found.
The survey’s results show that frustration is running high among voters on both sides of the aisle as the final stretch of the campaign season gets underway.
For Republicans, the numbers signal that a significant share of their own voters want to see substantial change, and that a portion are hoping for something far more dramatic.
For Democrats, the poll shows that while their base is overwhelmingly hungry for change, the party itself remains viewed unfavorably by about half of voters, leaving questions about whether it can capitalize on the national mood.
With less than three weeks remaining until Election Day, both parties face an electorate that is demanding change while remaining unconvinced by the options in front of it.
The poll had a margin of error of 3.9 percent.
