NBC News took a road trip along I-80, hitting some of the most competitive congressional districts to find out what’s driving people’s votes in the midterms.
\n\nBy Jonathan Allen, Frank Thorp V, and Marshall CrookSeptember 29, 2026
\n\nAmericans are frustrated with the direction the country is headed as the midterm elections approach — an atmosphere that typically blows up on the party in power.
\n\nThey’re angry about rising prices, ballooning interest rates and foreign wars. They are afraid that AI will automate many jobs while driving up utility prices. The perspectives were shared with three NBC News reporters during a six-day, eight-stop August road trip in a minivan along Interstate 80. This “Drive to Decision Day” covered one-third of the most closely contested House races in the nation and two key Senate races. The aim was to find out what Americans are most concerned about right now and how that might affect their votes in November. Keep scrolling and watch this NBC News Reports documentary to find out.
\n\nSo from New Jersey to Nebraska, through the Rust Belt and into America’s breadbasket, we talked to voters in longtime battlegrounds, places made more competitive by national trends or redistricting, and seats…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business