Voters cast their ballots inside the Arlington County Courthouse in Arlington, Va., on Sept. 18, which was the first day of early voting in the state for the midterm elections. Tom Brenner/Getty Images hide caption

Tom Brenner/Getty Images

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Four weeks from now, the midterm elections will help decide the balance of power in Congress. And ahead of Election Day, Morning Edition will be traveling to six states with some of the most competitive races to hear what voters say is shaping their decisions.

We already have some clues about where voters stand. The latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found registered voters favor Democrats for Congress over Republicans by 12 percentage points. President Trump is also very much on voters' minds, with 45% saying their vote for Congress is a vote against him, compared with about a quarter who say they are voting to support him.

Across the political divide, one concern keeps rising to the top: the cost of living and what it means for people's economic futures.

But this year, some of the forces driving those costs are coming from far beyond voters' own communities. The war with Iran is affecting prices at the gas pump. Tariffs imposed in Washington are reaching the checkout counter. Foreign policy, economic policy and household costs are becoming harder to separate.

Republicans and Democrats are both campaigning on promises to make everyday life more affordable. But voters are weighing more than their bills. Immigration and the rapid growth of massive data centers are also part of the conversation. So is the voting process itself, including new restrictions that are raising questions about how ballots will be cast, secured and counted.

And in several of these states, another question hangs over the races: What do voters want from their own parties, and do old political loyalties still hold? Those are some of the questions that Morning Edition will take on the road, using the six states as a window into an electorate that is changing.

Steve Inskeep is reporting from North Carolina and Georgia, two closely watched Southern states. North Carolina has an open Senate seat and newly redrawn congressional districts. Georgia has competitive races for Senate and governor after several elections in which voters have backed candidates from both parties.

"I am watching and listening for people who feel this election is personal," Inskeep said.

He wants to hear from people who feel directly affected by the Trump administration's changes to immigration, government, education, taxes, foreign policy and the economy.

"Trump is not on the ballot but has urged voters to act as if he is, and given the consequential acts of his administration, voters are likely to respond as if he is," Inskeep said.

Michel Martin is headed to Ohio and Michigan, where some of the biggest questions are about political change in the Midwest. Ohio has competitive races for governor and Senate against a backdrop of economic anxiety. In Springfield, Martin will also look at how the end of temporary protected status for Haitians is affecting a community where Haitian immigrants make up a significant share of the population — and whether disagreements over immigration are changing how voters see their own parties.

Michigan offers a different set of tests. Trump won the state narrowly in 2024, when anger over the Biden administration's handling of the war in Gaza was a major issue for some voters, particularly in Michigan's Arab American communities. The state also saw a sharp increase in young-voter turnout. This year, an open Senate seat and a governor's race offer another chance to see whether those shifts are carrying into the midterms — and what role younger and Black voters are playing in the Democratic coalition.

Martin calls Ohio and Michigan "two big consequential states that have always told us a lot about where the rest of the country is, and is going."

In Michigan, she will be asking what is driving voters after the state has chosen both Democrats and Republicans in key races.

"Are they mad? Sad? Or just exhausted? We hope to find out," Martin said.

Leila Fadel is reporting from Maine, where a Senate race could help determine control of the chamber. Republican Sen. Susan Collins is seeking another term against Democrat Troy Jackson. Immigration and trade are also part of the political conversation there.

"I want to know what drives voters and how much party loyalty still plays a role," Fadel said. "Are their votes up for grabs? Or are they locked in along party lines?"

Maine's long border with Canada also gives the trade war a different dimension, as tariffs and tensions over cross-border trade affect businesses and communities with close economic ties to Canada. The state has also been affected by the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Fadel said she will be asking voters what they want from their candidates — and whether the party delivering that message matters.

A Martínez is heading to Texas, where Republicans are testing whether recent gains among Latino voters will hold. The state's U.S. Senate race has also put Texas in the national fight over control of the chamber.

Republicans redrew five congressional districts to favor the Republican Party in the midterms, including three with more Latino voters. Martínez said that this makes the party's strategy around Latino voters one of the questions he wants to examine.

"What's behind the Texas GOP's big bet on Latino voters, and will it help Republicans keep control of the U.S. Senate?"

Over the next four weeks, Morning Edition will report from races and electorates across the U.S., asking many of the same questions: What matters to voters now, what has changed and where is the country headed next?

Follow the reporting: Maine coverage airs today, Oct. 6. Texas is up next on Oct. 13, followed by reporting from North Carolina and Georgia and then Ohio and Michigan. You can follow along on Morning Edition and NPR.org, as well as in the NPR app and the Up First newsletter.

This piece was edited by Treye Green.