People voted on the first day of early voting in New York, October 24.
Ryan Murphy/AFP via Getty Images
hide caption
Ryan Murphy/AFP via Getty Images
In every election, a crucial group of voters helps determine which candidates will win.
These are voters who swing from one side to the other – the rare swing voters.
And throughout 2026, NPR has had a front-row seat to understanding how these people think, listening to voters in different swing states think about President Trump, the policy issues that matter to them, and who they might vote for in the future.
In this case, these voters supported Joe Biden in 2020 and then supported Trump in 2024.
They all participated in the Swing Voter Project, which holds monthly online focus groups. They are run by messaging company Engagious and market research recruitment company Nelson Recruiting. NPR is a partner in the project.
So, just before Election Day, what have we learned about swing voters this year? Here are five takeaways:
- These Biden-Trump voters quickly soured on the president
- Voters can draw a direct connection between Trump’s decisions and their feelings about the economy.
- It’s not like Democrats are popular either!
- There appears to be a convergence among voters on the left and right in favor of economic populism.
- There are many concerns about artificial intelligence and the proliferation of data centers.
Click the audio player above to listen to a special one-hour discussion on these takeaways and voters.
This special — “Swing Voters and the Issues that Matter” — was edited by Ben Swasey and produced by Lexie Schapitl.
Gn headline
