News 117K views since yesterday

Anthony Salvanto calls the midterms an "avoidance election"

A new CBS News poll finds most Democratic voters are mainly trying to stop Trump and Republican policies, while its House estimate leans Democratic without promising a wave.

Channel:

CBS News Story of October 27, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of CBS News's most watched videos since yesterday, with 116,862 views.

New poll shows most of those voting Democratic are trying to stop Trump and Republican policies

Things we can learn from the video

Press to jump

0:00More than eight in ten Democrats, Republicans and independents say they are committed to voting.
0:27Salvanto explains the "avoidance election": most Democratic voters say they are voting mainly to stop Trump and Republican policies.
1:19Half of respondents expect gas prices to rise if Republicans win control.
1:50Trump is a deciding factor for about two-thirds of likely voters, possibly a record for him in a midterm.
2:51The House estimate shows Democrats at 229 seats and Republicans at 206, with 218 needed for control.
3:22Republican redistricting gains may fall short of double digits as national preferences shift.

For many voters this fall, the goal is less about winning something than about blocking something. That is how Anthony Salvanto, CBS News' executive director of elections and surveys, reads the network's latest poll with YouGov. He calls it an "avoidance election."

"For a lot of folks, they're motivated more, they say, to stop the other side than to get something for themselves," Salvanto tells the anchor in the morning segment. According to the poll, nearly six in ten people voting Democratic say their main reason is to stop Donald Trump and Republican policies. More than eight in ten Democrats, Republicans and independents alike say they plan to vote.

Trump is not on the ballot, but Salvanto says the president is a deciding factor for about two-thirds of likely voters. "He is on pace now to break his own record for being a factor in a midterm," he says. The poll also asks about expectations: half of respondents think gas prices will rise if Republicans win control of Congress.

The network's Battleground Tracker currently estimates Democrats at 229 House seats and Republicans at 206, with 218 needed for a majority. Salvanto adds a caution: "This does not necessarily, to me, imply a large democratic blue wave." He also says the seats Republicans hoped to gain through redistricting may fall short of double digits because national voter preferences have shifted. "This race is still in flux," he says.

The clip has drawn about 117,000 views since it was posted, making it CBS News' most watched new video. Its comment section is running roughly ten times busier than usual for the channel.

Published on Trari