58 percent in new poll say they’re living paycheck to paycheck

58% of registered voters say they live paycheck to paycheck. NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ Poll It was released on Wednesday.

Voters say their monthly income is wiped out on basic living expenses like housing, food, medical care and transportation, leaving them with little money left over.

The poll offers further pessimism for President Biden in an election year in which the economy is expected to be a major issue in his race against former President Trump.

Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed are dissatisfied with Biden’s economic policies, and 92% are somewhat or very concerned about inflation.

Nearly two-thirds of voters surveyed said they had had to cut back on purchases in the past month, including spending on groceries, entertainment and eating out.

When asked who is most responsible for the state of the economy, 42% of respondents said Biden. Nearly 45% said the economy is worse off than it was a year ago, while only 23% said it is better off economically.

Voters surveyed cited the economy as the main topic they want the candidates to address in the debates, and about 77% said they will at least “somewhat” or “probably” watch this year’s debates.

The first debate is scheduled for June 27, just three weeks away and well before the parties hold their respective political conventions; Republicans will meet in Milwaukee from July 15 to 18.
Democrats are scheduled to meet in Chicago in August.

The NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ poll was conducted May 28-29 among 1,000 registered voters via an online panel. The margin of error varied from question to question, with the margin of error being 2.9 percentage points for the question about paycheck-to-paycheck spending.

NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.

According to the Hill/Decision Desk polling tracker, Trump is leading Biden by one point in national polls, 45 percent to 44 percent, within the margin of error for polls compiled.

A Florida Atlantic University Institute for Political Communication/Main Street Research battleground state poll released this week found each party’s presumptive nominee locked in close races in virtual face-offs in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, all three states that Biden won by narrow margins in 2020.