NPR special examines swing voters who backed Biden then Trump
NPR's Swing Voter Project tracked voters in swing states through monthly focus groups throughout 2026.
At a glance
- NPR partnered with Engagious and Nelson Recruiting to run monthly swing voter focus groups in 2026.
- Participants voted for Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2024, representing a key electoral segment.
- An hour-long special presents five takeaways from the year of listening sessions.
NPR has released a special report analyzing a year of conversations with swing voters who supported Joe Biden in 2020 and Donald Trump in 2024. The Swing Voter Project, a partnership between NPR, messaging firm Engagious, and market research recruiter Nelson Recruiting, conducted monthly online focus groups with voters in swing states throughout 2026.
The project aimed to understand how these voters evaluate President Trump, the political issues that matter to them, and their voting intentions ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Participants were selected because they represent a rare segment of the electorate that switches party allegiance between presidential elections.
The hour-long special, titled "Swing voters and the issues that matter," presents five takeaways drawn from the year of listening sessions. The program was edited by Ben Swasey and produced by Lexie Schapitl. Audio for the special will be posted on NPR's website.
Early voting began in some states in late October, including New York where voters cast ballots on October 24. The Swing Voter Project's findings arrive as both parties seek to understand the motivations of voters who could determine control of Congress in the midterms.
Source: NPR News.
Questions and answers
- Who runs the Swing Voter Project?
- The project is run by messaging firm Engagious and market research recruiter Nelson Recruiting, with NPR as a partner.
- What voters were studied in the project?
- The focus groups included swing-state voters who supported Joe Biden in 2020 and Donald Trump in 2024.
- Where can I hear the NPR special on swing voters?
- The hour-long special "Swing voters and the issues that matter" will have its audio posted on NPR's website.
