A new survey out Tuesday finds a wide majority of voters say the nation's rising debt will factor into their decision during next week's U.S. mid-term elections.
The poll by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation showed roughly three-quarters of voters rank the national debt as "important" in determining which candidate to support.
The number held steady across political lines — Republican, Democrat and independent. The survey also found that voters were more likely to back a candidate who is willing to work across party lines to reduce the debt.
The think tank has long called on Washington to rein in federal spending, and it's not alone.
The Pew Research Center found that growing deficits are one of the few issues that a majority of both Republicans and Democrats regard as a major national problem. More than half of voters in a Morning Consult/Politico survey ranked reducing the federal deficit as a "top priority."
The deficit ballooned by 17% last fiscal year to $779 billion, driven by the sweeping Republican tax cuts and more government spending, particularly on defense. The deficit is forecast to hit $1 trillion in fiscal year 2019.
Mid-term elections are being held in the States this Tuesday, and are often seen as a referendum on the performance of the sitting U.S. president.
