A First Look at Polling Performance in 2026
Preelection polls captured the direction of this year’s election, while generally understating the size of Democrats’ advantage.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Read our research on:
Publications
-
-
About a Third of Americans Have Left an Online Community
About a third of U.S. adults have left an online community, most often because they lost interest. Younger adults are likelier to leave.
-
Majority of Americans Say Social Media Companies, News Outlets Have Too Much Power in Politics
About seven-in-ten Americans say social media firms wield too much political power; 55% say so of news outlets, but Republicans and Democrats differ.
-
LGBTQ Americans Stand Out for Being Part of Online Communities, Finding Value in Them
LGBTQ adults are more likely to join online communities, though some also leave over people being harassed.
-
Majorities in Both Parties Say Media Criticism Keeps Politicians in Check
Overall, 80% of Americans express this view, up from 75% in September 2025. Another 16% say such criticism keeps political leaders from doing their job.
-
Americans’ Trust in Information From News Organizations Has Risen in the Past Year
Trust in national and local news has risen since last year across parties and age groups, while trust in social media is virtually unchanged.
-
How Many People in the U.S. Are Middle Eastern or North African?
Estimates of the U.S. Middle Eastern or North African population range from 3.1 to 5.2 million in 2024, depending on how ancestry, race and language are counted.
-
Gas Prices Are High Now, but for Many Americans They Were Even Higher in the Past
Gas prices have surged amid the Iran conflict, but adjusted for inflation and wages, 2008 was costlier.
-
On Facebook and Instagram, Political Ads Are Increasingly Critical of Data Centers
Political ads about data centers on Facebook and Instagram have turned increasingly critical, with 57% opposed and just 3% supportive ahead of the midterms.
-
The 2026 Midterms Will Be Uniquely Difficult for Polls
Polls haven’t gotten worse, but fake respondents, synthetic AI surveys and election unknowns make the 2026 midterms uniquely hard to poll.
