More than three-quarters oppose police using race to decide who to stop
Core finding
Americans broadly reject race-based stops: 78% disagree that police should be allowed to use race and ethnicity when deciding who to stop, including 59% who strongly disagree.
Just one-in-ten (10%) agree police should be allowed to do so, and 12% neither agree nor disagree, according to a May 2026 Verasight survey.
Topline scale
More than three-quarters oppose police using race to decide who to stop.
Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement: Police should be allowed to use race and ethnicity when deciding who to stop.
n = 1,000 · May 11, 2026 · MoE ±3.3%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | May 11, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.3% |
| Module | politics |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26
Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement: Police should be allowed to use race and ethnicity when deciding who to stop.
Cite this question
Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.