Facts & Data •
November 8th, 2022
Which Midterm Election Issues Are Searched More in Your State?
Election Day is upon us, and there are many issues that are top-of-mind for voters: inflation, abortion, and crime to name a few.
According to Google Trends, here are some of the top issues and their relative search term popularity compared to the total number of Google searches performed on that topic.
Note that the highest search interest in each map is “100,” and “50” is half of that search interest. Maps show search popularity as a fraction of all searches in that state. Learn more.
Inflation
Top states based on proportional search interest:
- California
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Maine
- Massachusetts
Google search interest for inflation is significantly higher in California than other states because the state is sending “inflation relief” payments to its citizens. Other highest-searched for the issue are in the northeastern United States.
Crime
Top states based on proportional search interest:
- Wyoming
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin
- West Virginia
- Montana
Interestingly, there doesn’t seem to be a correlation between high search interest in crime and actual crime rates per state – Wyoming, Wisconsin, and West Virginia have crime rates lower than the U.S. average.
RELATED: See what the 2022 candidates have said about the country’s top issues.
Abortion
Top states based on proportional search interest:
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Alaska
- Montana
Five U.S. states have abortion on the ballot on Midterm Election Day: Michigan, Kentucky, Montana, Vermont, and California. Michigan Proposal 3, in particular, has sparked a lot of discussion as passing it would support providing a state constitutional right to reproductive freedom.
In New Hampshire, abortion has been a topic of contention amongst its congressional candidates.
Education
Top states based on proportional search interest:
- South Carolina
- North Carolina
- West Virginia
- New Jersey
- Mississippi
In South Carolina, three candidates are on the ballot to become the new State Superintendent of Education.
COVID-19
Top states based on proportional search interest:
- Vermont
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Connecticut
RELATED: Interactive: Who Will Control the House and Senate After the 2022 Elections?
Immigration
Top states based on proportional search interest:
- California
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
This analysis was conducted using Google Trends data from October 7 – November 7, 2022. The highest Google search interest in each map below is “100,” which shows the state with the most search popularity as a fraction of all searches in that state. Learn more.
Andrew Weinzierl is AllSides’ Research Manager & Data Journalist. He has a Lean Left bias.
This piece was reviewed by Joseph Ratliff, Daily News Editor (Lean Left bias) and Henry A. Brechter, Managing Editor (Center bias).
