(The Center Square) – Hands down and without question, voters' cash is most important when determining the issues driving election choices for North Carolinians.

Since the election cycle began, some version of poll questions involving the economy, jobs, inflation, cost of living and even inclusive of the stock market has polled No. 1. Not surprisingly immigration and abortion run a consensus second and third, respectively, amid a mix that in some polls snag one of the top three spots from the leading trio of topics.

The Center Square examined seven recent polls with an issue question, none starting later than Sept. 17, and the most recent completed Sunday. Collectively, the polls of Emerson, East Carolina University, High Point University, AtlasIntel, Marist College, Rasmussen and New York Times/Siena drew more than 6,700 respondents labeled as likely voters.

Democracy, health care, education, and foreign policy involving conflicts of nations in no particular order garner attention in most but not all the samplings. Issues that seem to strike a chord such as critical race theory; diversity, equity and inclusion; Title IX rules changes; gender dysphoria and use of medicines or surgeries; and student loans either don’t move the needle in the polls or simply didn’t merit being a choice from pollsters to voters.

That could be because they’ve been addressed recently.

North Carolina’s General Assembly has arguably had its most notable protest rallies this two-year session on abortion and education. The Take Back Title IX Bus Tour came through in the summer, and protection of women’s sports leader Riley Gaines has made appearances backing legislation. Lawmakers overrode vetoes of Gov. Roy Cooper to enact laws involving abortion, universal school choice, prevention of medical procedures on minors related to gender, and preventing boys in girls spaces such as athletics.

Context in examining the polls is pivotal. For example, not all questions were framed apples to apples. Some were broad. One targeted “important to you” regarding president and U.S. Senate, even though North Carolina voters don’t select a senator this year. Another said “greatest challenges the United States faces today.”

Topics, too, were varied. For example, “cash of the voter” covers the pollsters using the terms economy, jobs, inflation, taxes, economic conditions, cost of living and the stock market. Most split abortion and reproductive rights from health care, though the latter included a split of quality and affordability.

Still, a feel for the flavor of what is on voters’ minds can be detected. Three outliers hit top fives – housing affordability was second in the Emerson poll, violent crime was fourth for Rasmussen, and dislike of opposing candidates was fourth and only used by the Siena analysis.

Some version of a voters’ money was 7-for-7 in the top spot.

Immigration, or border security, was second twice, third three times and fourth twice. Abortion was high as second once and low as sixth once.

Democracy was in five of seven polls as a choice and hit between second and seventh. Health care wasn’t a choice in one poll, hit between third and 14th in six others, and in the High Point poll was ninth as providing quality of and 14th as preserving Medicare.

Education has been a bellwether for Cooper as he finishes his eighth year. It wasn’t a choice in the polls from ECU – once upon a time known as East Carolina Teachers College – or Marist and ranged from fifth to 13th in the others.