If a nominee drops out, most Americans want a new primary
Core finding
Verasight surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults from September 25 to 30, 2026. If a party's nominee withdraws after winning the primary, 58.8% of Americans would rather hold a new primary, while 21.8% would let the party organization pick a replacement. Another 19.4% aren't sure.
Strong preference for a new primary accounts for 44.8%, compared with 7.4% who strongly prefer the party organization. The question describes a nominee who withdraws after winning the primary.
Topline distribution
If a nominee drops out, most Americans want a new primary.
Which would you prefer: require a new primary election or allow the party organization to select the nominee?
n = 1,000 · Sep 25–30, 2026 · MoE ±3.5%
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 | Sep 25–30, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.5% |
| Module | Democracy, Politics, & Participation |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/2026-153-apsa-omnibus-report
Which would you prefer: require a new primary election or allow the party organization to select the nominee?
Cite this question
APSA Omnibus Survey #2026-153, fielded September 25-30, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.