Voter Poll Shows Democratic Gains

National results from the CNN Voter Poll indicate that a wide segment of the electorate moved toward Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. The data reveals that this shift included younger voters and political independents, contributing to historic congressional wins for the Democratic Party. The poll also shows a broad rejection of President Donald Trump that extended into states traditionally considered deep red.

The CNN Voter Poll serves as the successor to previous exit polls. It combines traditional in-person interviews conducted at polling places on Election Day with tens of thousands of interviews completed nationwide in the weeks leading up to the election. This combined scope allows researchers to analyze the demographic profile and political views of voters with greater detail than previous methods. The poll was conducted by SSRS from October 19 to November 3. It is expected to include a representative sample of approximately 100,000 voters nationwide. The national sample has a margin of error of plus or minus 0.6 percentage points.

In previous midterm cycles, Republicans held a double-digit advantage with male voters. That gap disappeared in the 2026 results. Men split evenly between Democratic and Republican candidates. Women, who supported Democrats by an eight-point margin in 2022, returned to the party in greater force. Democrats also narrowed their deficit among White voters, a demographic where Republicans had held advantages in 2018 and 2022. The party regained some support among Black and Latino voters, who had shifted slightly toward the GOP in the last cycle.

Voters with college degrees favored Democrats by double-digit margins. This included both White voters and voters of color. Republicans saw erosion of their 2022 advantage among White voters without a college degree. Political independents who voted in this cycle favored Democrats by a double-digit margin. Self-identified Republicans were more likely than self-identified Democrats to cross party lines to vote for the other party.

A group of voters who hold unfavorable views of both parties, often referred to as double haters, voted decisively for Democrats. This group made up about 15 percent of the electorate. In 2018, this group split evenly, and in 2022, they voted Republican. Economic discontent played a central role in these voting patterns. Three-quarters of voters said economic conditions were bad. About two-thirds said Trump's policies worsened economic conditions. More than 60 percent attributed higher costs to his policies rather than outside factors.

Trump's approval rating stood below 40 percent among voters nationally. About one-fifth of voters who supported Trump in 2024 said they disapproved of his performance. These low approval ratings appeared even in states where Trump won comfortably two years ago. Voters cited the cost of gas, diesel fuel, groceries, utilities, and healthcare as primary concerns. The share of voters reporting hardship due to inflation was similar to levels in 2024. However, many voters now place the blame for their economic struggles directly on the current administration.

Nationally, voters gave Democrats the advantage over Republicans in handling the economy. Roughly one-fifth of voters did not trust either party on economic issues. This group largely voted for Democratic congressional candidates. The poll data was weighted by the probability of voters turning out. Recontact interviews were conducted to verify choices and turnout for those who could not be verified as having voted prior to Election Day. Respondents could complete the poll in English or Spanish. State data is unavailable for Washington, Utah, North Dakota, Missouri, and Indiana this cycle.

The results suggest that the economic affordability crisis weighed heavily on voter decisions. The data shows that cost-of-living concerns, which helped Trump's path to the presidency in 2024, now drive voters away from the Republican Party. The shift in demographic support explains the scope of Democratic support in this year's election. The poll remains an estimate rather than a precise measurement due to its margin of error.