Voter confidence in the 2026 vote count
Core finding
Most adults express at least some confidence that votes will be counted as intended in the 2026 midterms, while expectations for party control of Congress remain split.
Roughly 68% say they are very or somewhat confident that votes nationwide will be counted as voters intend. About 45% expect Democrats to win the most House seats, while 39% expect Republicans to win the most Senate seats.
Most adults are at least somewhat confident in the vote count
About 68% of adults say they are confident that votes nationwide will be counted as voters intend in the November 2026 congressional elections.
This includes 21% who are very confident and 46% who are somewhat confident. Roughly 32% say they are not very confident or not at all confident.
Topline
68% are confident votes will be counted as intended in the 2026 midterms.
n = 1,000 · Mar 6–16, 2026 · MoE ±3.5%
Adults split over which party will control Congress
For the U.S. House, 45% of adults expect Democrats to win the most seats, 34% expect Republicans to win the most seats, and 21% say they do not know.
For the U.S. Senate, 39% expect Republicans to win the most seats, 35% expect Democrats to win the most seats, and 26% say they do not know.
Crosstab view
45% expect Democrats to win the House, while 39% expect Republicans to win the Senate.
Thinking about the upcoming midterm elections, which party do you think will win the most seats in the US House of Representatives?
Thinking about the upcoming midterm elections, which party do you think will win the most seats in the US Senate?
n = 1,000 · Mar 6–16, 2026 · MoE ±3.5%
Competition and vote-count confidence coexist
Taken together, the trust and chamber questions show adults expecting a live contest without rejecting the vote count outright.
The stronger read is not total confidence or total distrust. It is a public that sees the election as competitive while most still say votes will be counted as intended.
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 | Mar 6–16, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.5% |
| Module | Module 3: Elections, Civic Life, & the Environment |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044
How confident are you that votes nationwide will be counted as voters intend in the November 2026 election for the U.S. Congress?
- reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044
Thinking about the upcoming midterm elections, which party do you think will win the most seats in the US House of Representatives?
- reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044
Thinking about the upcoming midterm elections, which party do you think will win the most seats in the US Senate?
Cite this topic
Verasight Client Omnibus Survey #2026-044, fielded March 6-16, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.