Public Opinion

HeaLTH in the Midterms

Health Care in the 2026 Midterm Election

This dashboard focuses on KFF’s analysis of the role health care costs and other health policy issues played in voters’ decisions in the 2026 midterm elections, including in key Senate races. It examines the role of rising health costs on voters’ decisions, views on the Trump administration’s health care policies, and opinions on the government’s role in health care amid discussions of Medicare for All.

Abortion on the Ballot in 2026: Polling Insights from Voters in Four States

This dashboard provides KFF’s analysis of the role abortion played in voters’ decisions in the 2026 midterm elections, with a focus on four states with abortion-related ballot measures: Idaho, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia. It examines support for each of the measures across groups, including additional questions in Missouri.

What Do the Midterm Election Results Mean for Health Care? 

Event Date:

On November 5 at Noon ET, join KFF for a special post-election discussion and live “What the Health” podcast taping. Part of the discussion will focus on public opinion survey data on how voters weighed health care as they went to the polls nationally and in the four states with abortion-related ballot initiatives. 

Midterm Voters Give Democrats a Big Advantage to Handle Health Care

Quick Insights

KFF’s analysis of the 2026 Voter Poll by SSRS shows midterm voters gave Democrats a 19-percentage-point advantage on which party is better able to handle health care. Voters also gave Democrats a narrow edge on handling the economy (43% vs. 37%), a reversal from 2024, when Trump had a 10-point advantage over Harris. "In an election focused on affordability, Democrats’ messaging on health care costs appears to have resonated with voters and may have contributed to the party’s gains."

KFF/AP Survey of RURAL VOTERS

Health Information and Trust

About Half of Parents Mistakenly Believe Spacing Out Vaccines Is Healthier for Children; Half Say No Strong Evidence to Support Such a Claim

KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust: Fall 2026 Update on Vaccine Views

The latest KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust finds about half of parents mistakenly believe spacing out vaccines is healthier for children, while confidence in many long-standing childhood vaccines is high across partisans. These findings take on new relevance following President Trump’s recent executive order calling for changes in U.S. childhood vaccine recommendations, including splitting the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine—currently given as a single combined shot—into three separate vaccines across multiple visits.

Dashboard: Polling on Health Information and Trust

Drawing on KFF’s poll findings, this interactive dashboard tracks the public’s trusted sources for health information, attitudes toward vaccines, and use of news, social media, and AI for health-related information.

Health Tracking PollS

Democrats Hold a Nearly 2-to-1 Advantage Over Republicans on Handling the Cost of Health Care

Health Care Issues in the Lead-Up to the 2026 Midterm Election 

In the lead up to the midterms, health care costs remained tied with gas as voters’ top midterm concerns. Two-thirds of U.S. adults also favored Medicare-for-all, a new high in KFF Polling, but support shifts when competing claims from critics and proponents are heard.

Most Democratic Voters Want To Hear Candidates Discuss Health Costs and Future of Health Programs; More Republicans Focused on Fraud

Public Views on Fraud in Health Programs

As the 2026 midterms approach, health care costs remain voters’ top health priority, but fraud in government health programs, including Medicaid and Medicare, is resonating with Republican voters, 55% of whom say it’s extremely important for candidates to address.

Mifepristone and the Midterms

Amid an ongoing FDA re-review of mifepristone, awareness of the safety and prevalence of the abortion pill remains limited. This KFF poll also finds that the voters who say abortion policy is an important issue for 2026 midterm candidates to discuss are disproportionately Democrats.

MAHA and the Midterms

This KFF Health Tracking Poll finds that the cost of health care is a more prominent focus for Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) voters than issues like food and vaccine policy. Four in ten MAHA voters (42%) choose lowering health costs as the most important health priority, outranking other MAHA priorities.

the essentials

Health Tracking Poll

Our signature survey project provides up-to-date data on the public’s health care views, knowledge, and experiences.

Tracking the Public’s Views on the ACA

Tracking the Public’s Views on the ACA

This interactive tool tracks public opinion on the Affordable Care Act, from the inception of the law to the present, including trends based on party identification, income, age, gender, and race/ethnicity.

Health Information and Trust Tracking Poll

The Health Information and Trust Tracking Poll is part of KFF’s Health Information and Trust Initiative, which tracks health misinformation and analyzes its impact on the public.

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  • KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: January 2022 Parents And Kids Update

    Poll Finding

    This Vaccine Monitor survey finds an increase in the share of parents reporting their child has received a COVID-19 vaccine, with 61% of parents of 12-17-year olds and 33% of 5-11-year-olds now saying their child has gotten at least one shot. Three in ten parents of children under the age of 5, a group that has not yet been approved to get a vaccine, say they’ll get their child vaccinated right away.

  • 42% of Adults, and 70% of Those Likely Booster-Eligible, Now Say They’ve Gotten a COVID-19 Booster Shot; The Share Who Received At Least One Dose Inches Up to 77% in Omicron’s Wake

    News Release

    6 in 10 Who Tried to Purchase an At-Home Test and a Third Who Sought an In-Person Test Say It Was Difficult to Find, Though Most Were Eventually Able to Get a Test Black and Hispanic Adults are More Likely Than White Adults to Worry About Omicron’s Effects, Including Becoming Seriously Ill or Missing Work Due to Infection The latest KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor report shows that 42% of all adults nationwide have received a…

  • KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: January 2022

    Poll Finding

    This report shows that 42% of all adults have received a COVID-19 booster, including about 70% of those who are likely booster-eligible. More than three quarters (77%) have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The poll also explores the public's experiences getting at-home and in-person COVID-19 tests and other issues.

  • Omicron Variant Increases Worries and Gives Momentum to COVID-19 Booster Shots; May Motivate a Small Share of Unvaccinated Adults to Get an Initial Shot

    News Release

    The emergence of the omicron COVID-19 variant is encouraging many already vaccinated adults to get a recommended booster shot but is providing only a little motivation for unvaccinated adults to get an initial shot, a new KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor quick response survey finds. Fielded from Dec. 15-20 to provide an early look at omicron’s potential impact on the public’s vaccination intentions, the survey finds that about half (54%) of vaccinated adults who haven’t gotten…

  • KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: Early Omicron Update

    Poll Finding

    This analysis from the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor explores the public's response to the news about the omicron variant of coronavirus, and finds that while it may convince vaccinated adults to get their COVID-19 booster vaccine, unvaccinated adults are largely unmoved by the news.

  • Politics and Boosters

    Feature

    The partisan divide that has emerged early into America’s booster campaign could increase pressure on health systems in heavily Republican areas if booster intentions hold.

  • Half of Parents of Adolescents 12-17 Say Their Child Has Gotten a COVID-19 Vaccine, though Uptake Has Slowed; 16% of Parents of 5-11 Year-olds Say Their Child Has Gotten a Vaccine

    News Release

    COVID-19 vaccine uptake among adolescents ages 12-17 has slowed after an initial wave of enthusiasm over the summer, with half (49%) of parents saying their adolescent has received at least one dose, a new KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor report reveals. The share is little changed since earlier in the fall. Just 1% of parents of adolescents now say they will get their adolescent vaccinated as soon as possible, and 13% say they want to wait…

  • KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: November 2021

    Poll Finding

    This report shows an increasing share of the public are frustrated about the status of COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S.. The share of fully vaccinated adults who report receiving a booster dose has more than doubled in the last month, though vaccine uptake overall is little changed. The poll also explores attitudes towards federal mandates on workplace vaccinations and the pandemic's toll on different groups.