With a midterm election on the horizon, Montana voters say kitchen-table issues such as the cost of living and the economy will influence their ballot choices most, according to a Montana Free Press-Rutgers Eagleton Poll. Living expenses were identified by 80% of voters as very important in determining whom to vote for, making the cost of living the most widely shared priority among more than 800 voters randomly selected from Montana’s registered voter file. Jobs and the economy were the second-most widely shared concern among voters, with 69% saying the subject would help determine their vote. Taxes and healthcare tied for third.

