Exit polls show AI ranked last among voter priorities in the 2026 U.S. midterms

In NBC News and SSRS exit polls for the 2026 U.S. midterms, 56 percent of respondents called AI and data centers a decisive or important factor in their vote, placing it last among the five topics surveyed. Government corruption led at 90 percent, followed by cost of living at 89 percent, the war in Iran at 74 percent, and immigration enforcement at 73 percent. The article notes that public interest in AI has surged in recent months but the topic still trailed every other issue by a wide margin.