US gas prices rose 9.1% in September alone, according to official figures, a headache for residents in a state like Florida, where most people rely on cars to get around. (EPA Images pic)FORT LAUDERDALE: Soaring prices for gas, medicine and other cost of living essentials are preoccupying Americans as they start to cast their ballots ahead of next week's midterm elections.

A whopping 84% of voters who have cast their ballots early listed the economy as their biggest concern this election cycle, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.

Kyler Daugherty, a 43-year-old health care worker, summed up the sentiment as he filled up his gas tank in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

"It's ridiculous. I mean, everything's gone up, from food to transportation to gas prices," he told AFP.