American voters are concerned about their economic future due to rising inflation and high living costs, no matter which candidate wins the upcoming U.S. presidential election on Nov 5.
The race for the White House is tight between Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, with less than a week before Americans cast their ballots for the next president.
This year, a lot of voters focus on high inflation's impact on their wallets. According to the financial services firm Bankrate, two out of five people surveyed say inflation is their top issue in this presidential election.
"It's very expensive. It's so expensive that people just can't afford to feed their families. They can't afford to eat. Everything is sky-high," said Janis Goldberg, a New York voter.
With housing costs continually rising, housing in the U.S. has become increasingly unaffordable for home buyers, especially for the younger generation.
"My biggest concern is the housing market, especially in New York, with such limited housing and the prices only going up and up and up. It's going to be so much harder for younger people like myself," said 23-year-old Olivia Cahill.
The recent Bankrate survey also finds that many Americans have a negative view of the economy, regardless of who wins the election. More than half -- 55 percent --believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, while only 32 percent think it's on the right track.
Bankrate's senior industry analyst Ted Rossman noted that while there is some partisan divide in the results, one statistic stands out.
"Of course, people see that through party-colored glasses, but concerning for Democrats would be the fact that only about one in four independents think the economy is on the right track," said Rossman.
Therefore, Americans who worry about economic issues have different preferences when facing a choice between the two presidential candidates.
"President Trump will be better because prices will come down. People will be able to buy a home, get jobs and feed their families. Everything will be safe," said Goldberg.
"In the short term, a couple of years, you get a windfall and a couple of bucks (if Trump wins), but in the long term, ultimately, Harris is definitely going to be better," said Jozef Mrabik from New Jersey.
Some voters feel pessimistic about the economy's future anyway, regardless of who takes office in the White House.
"Overall, the way things are going won't make that much of a difference. I think we'll probably stay at this level in our economy," said Cahill.
Americans see high prices as key concern in presidential elections
