NORC surveyed more than 110,000 registered voters across all 50 states to examine the priorities and motivations shaping voters' 2026 midterm choices.

CHICAGO, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NORC at the University of Chicago has released new findings from the Civic Health & Elections Project (CH&EP) showing that 2024 Trump voters desired sweeping change, with 51 percent wanting substantial change and 14 percent wanting complete and total upheaval. Among 2024 Harris voters, 55 percent wanted substantial change and 40 percent wanted complete and total upheaval. CH&EP surveyed more than 110,000 registered voters across all 50 states, including those who decided not to vote. NORC collected the data in the week before Election Day and released the findings within hours of polls closing.

Key National Findings

Voters expressed broad dissatisfaction with the country's direction: Heading into Election Day, 80 percent of likely voters wanted "substantial change" or "complete and total upheaval" in the way the country is run, 72 percent disapproved of Congress' job performance, and 64 percent were dissatisfied with how things were going in the country.

Economy and health care led voters' concerns: 58 percent of likely voters identified "the economy and jobs" as one of the three most important issues facing the country, followed by 44 percent who cited "health care."

Voters had greater confidence in state and local government: 73 percent said they had "some" or "a great deal of confidence" in the people running their state government, and 74 percent said the same of their local government, compared with 55 percent for the executive branch and 54 percent for Congress.

Lack of political interest may have kept some voters home: 33 percent of nonvoters cited a lack of interest in politics as a reason they would likely stay home, while 27 percent said they aren't going to vote because they believed their vote did not matter. Another 28 percent of nonvoters say they don't know enough about the candidates' positions.

"Election results tell us who won and lost, but they don't explain what voters in every state care about and why," said Jennifer Benz, senior vice president for Public Affairs & Media Research at NORC and CH&EP project director. "CH&EP fills that gap, providing data on the priorities influencing participation in the midterm elections. As the new Congress heads to Washington in January, these findings offer a clearer picture of what their constituents care about."

A 50-State Assessment of American Civic Life

The Civic Health & Elections Project examined key issues affecting Americans' lives, including the economy, health care, immigration, foreign policy, and trust in institutions in all 50 states. NORC then linked responses to external state- and local-level data on demographics, media environments, election laws, political conditions, and community economic, health, and public safety indicators. The linked data provides a deeper understanding of the factors associated with voter attitudes and participation.

"Traditional election surveys often focus on competitive races in a handful of battleground states, leaving many communities, including nonvoters, out of the national conversation," said David Sterrett, principal research scientist at NORC and lead methodologist for CH&EP. "With robust sample sizes in every state, CH&EP enables rigorous state-by-state analysis of voter attitudes, providing a more complete picture of what voters and nonvoters care about."

With at least 750 interviews in most states, the full CH&EP dataset and corresponding data tools are freely available to the public. Communities, policymakers, researchers, and journalists can use the data to better understand registered voters' experiences, attitudes, and priorities across all 50 states.

Notable State-Level Findings

Texans expressed deep distrust of politicians: 66 percent of Texas voters said most politicians are in politics only for personal gain, while 65 percent said politicians benefit more from dividing people than from uniting them.

Michiganders distinguished between immigrants with and without criminal records: 67 percent of Michigan voters said immigrants living in the United States illegally without a criminal record should have a path to citizenship, while 78 percent said immigrants with a criminal record who are living in the country illegally should be deported.

Ohioans cited health risks when assessing AI data centers: 52 percent of Ohio voters said they were "extremely" or "very" concerned about the potential health impact of AI data centers in communities where they are built, while 56 percent opposed them entirely.

Georgians viewed crime as a widespread problem across rural and urban areas: 95 percent of Georgia voters said crime was a problem in large cities across the United States, while 85 percent said it was a problem in small towns.

To explore interactive state-level dashboards, review the full methodology, or download the public dataset, visit https://civichealth.norc.org/.

The study receives funding from ACCESS, the American Enterprise Institute, Arab American Forum, California Community Foundation, CIRCLE at Tufts University, EdChoice, Fox Media, KFF, Knight Foundation, NORC, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, StudyLA at Loyola Marymount University, University of Houston Hobby School, and The Washington Post.

About NORC at the University of Chicago

NORC conducts research and analysis that decision-makers trust. As a nonpartisan research organization, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. Today, we partner with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to provide services, solutions, and objectivity to inform the critical decisions facing society.

www.norc.org

Contact: For more information, email press@norc.org or call (877) 832-0392.

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