WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic voters are more enthusiastic about casting their ballots in next year's midterm elections than Republicans, according to a new survey.
Over 4 in 10 Democratic voters who participated in the survey said they were "very enthusiastic" about voting next year, which were echoed by 26 percent of Republicans, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week.
A whopping 79 percent of Democrats said they would regret not voting next year, compared with 68 percent of Republican voters, according to the survey.
Moreover, 26 percent of Democrats and 34 percent of Republicans said they were "neutral" about next year's elections, the survey found.
Analysts view the poll as the latest signal of the public's rising frustration with Republican President Donald Trump, whose campaign on tamping down inflation has not yet come to fruition.
Americans' wallets have been under strain due to high interest rates, as well as high cost of food, rent and homeownership. Forty-five percent of poll participants said cost of living was the most important factor in determining their votes.
The poll came just after Democrats swept New York City and the states of New Jersey and Virginia in mayoral and gubernatorial elections earlier this month -- another indicator that Democratic voters are enthusiastic about casting their ballots.
"Democrats are very enthusiastic because they did well in this year's elections and anticipate affordability problems will propel next year," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua.
"Voters are worried about the economy and having problems dealing with rising costs. That does not bode well for Republicans next year. The economy could be a major problem for Trump going forward," West said.
The poll took place after a major standoff between Democrats and Republicans over the federal budget, whereby negotiations fell apart and led to the longest federal government shutdown on record.
Clay Ramsay, a researcher at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, told Xinhua: "Inflation and the problem of affordability are already hurting the GOP and were a big part of its election defeats this month."
Healthcare costs, which grow faster than the inflation rate in the United States and were a key point of tension during the longest government shutdown, could also become an important topic in the midterm elections.
With the rise in insurance premiums, healthcare will be a major factor in people's inability to make ends meet, Ramsay said. ■