Exit Polls 2026: How to check early Election insights and what they reveal about voters

Before the final votes are in for the 2026 midterms, the exit polls will give us an early indication of what voters are thinking and why they voted the way they did. The surveys go well beyond simply asking which candidate you supported. They look at the demographics of the voters, the issues that mattered to them, and how various groups went about the election. NBC News and the other major news organizations are using a national polling project to get at these views. Exit polls are not the official election results and early figures are likely to change as more data comes in. The inputs are taken from MS Now and NBC News.

What are exit polls and how do they work?

An exit poll is a survey carried out after people have gone to vote. Interviewers go to voters as they leave the polling station and ask them to complete a questionnaire. Unlike pre-election opinion polls which measure what people intend to do, exit polls ask voters what they actually did. They also include the early voters and those who voted by post, using a combination of phone, mail and online surveys to reach them.

For the 2026 midterms, SSRS (an independent survey research firm) is the polling provider for NBC News, ABC News, The Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, Fox News and MS NOW. All of the news organisations get the same data, they just each go off and do their own analysis and reporting.

NBC News says its national survey will include over 75,000 voters. The wider Voter Poll project described by MS NOW is intended to gather responses from around 100,000 people nationwide.

What do the exit polls ask the voters?

The questionnaires go well beyond candidate preference. Voters are asked which Democrat or Republican they voted for in their House district. In a number of states they're also asked about their vote in the Senate and for the governor.

The surveys look at the issues that would have had an impact on voting decisions (the economy, cost of living, immigration, foreign policy, etc.), and also look at when people made up their minds as to whom they were going to vote for and what was most important to them in that decision.

Personal details (age, gender, race, education, etc) are collected to show how different groups have voted. They're also used to weigh the results so they're a more accurate reflection of the electorate.

How are voters selected?

Interviewers work at scientifically selected polling places. They go up to voters at regular intervals (every third or fifth person, say) rather than letting the voters pick when they want to be interviewed. The in-person questionnaires have about 25 questions and can be completed in either English or Spanish. The interviewers transmit the responses to the data centre three times on Election Day, so the numbers can be updated as further responses come in.

Early and mail voters are contacted via other means. Their turnout is verified against the state voter records.

When will the exit poll results be available?

NBC News will not be releasing the exit poll results prior to 5 p.m. ET on Election Day. Early releases could include some of the demographic data and the issues that are driving the voters' decisions. The figures as to which candidates the voters supported will not be released until the polls in the relevant state are scheduled to close. For instance, the figures on the voting patterns in the Texas Senate race will not be released until after the polls close statewide at 9 p.m. ET, as per the information provided by MS NOW.

Exit polls are anonymous. The in-person respondents complete their own forms and put them in the collection boxes. Phone, mail and online responses are all anonymous.

Why should voters be wary of the early figures?

Exit polls help to explain the election, but they don't in any way replace the official vote count. The early estimates are subject to change as more responses come in and the data is refined. The surveys also have margins of error (so their findings are not certain). They're improved using voter files and turnout data and at the end of the day, the state data is weighted to the actual election results. For that reason, exit polls should be seen as an early picture of the electorate rather than a final word on who won.