(The Center Square) – High grocery prices are top-of-mind for voters with a little over a month until the midterm elections, according to a new poll.
Convention of States Action, along with Trafalgar Group, released the poll, which found that 68.3% of surveyed voters say that the “increase in the price of groceries is impacting their motivation to vote in the 2022 election.”
The poll found 89.4% of Republicans agree, compared to 43.4% of Democrats.
Notably, 64.1% of Independent voters say higher grocery prices are impacting their motivation to vote in November.
Recently released federal inflation data shows that grocery prices have soared in the past year, far outpacing the already-high overall inflation rate.
“The food at home index rose 13.5 percent over the last 12 months, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending March 1979,” the Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its latest release of consumer pricing data. “The index for other food at home rose 16.7 percent and the index for cereals and bakery products increased 16.4 percent over the year. The remaining major grocery store food groups posted increases ranging from 9.4 percent (fruits and vegetables) to 16.2 percent (dairy and related products).”
In fact, food prices have risen at the fastest rate in decades.
“The food at home index rose 13.5 percent over the last 12 months, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending March 1979,” BLS said.
Rising costs of food are on the minds of many voters heading to the ballot box in November.
“This data reveals that skyrocketing grocery prices are really starting to hit Americans hard, even beyond the initial pinch they have been feeling due to surging inflation,” said Mark Meckler, president of the Convention of States. “Election observers are constantly looking for that one, top of mind issue that is affecting the mood – ultimately the decisions – of the electorate, and when almost 70% of voters indicate they are mad enough about food prices that it makes them more likely to vote, that’s a real-time indicator that it’s an issue which has risen to that status.”
The poll queried more than 1,000 likely voters from Sept. 17th through Sept. 20th.