People cast ballots on the first day of early voting in New York on Oct. 24. Ryan Murphy/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Every election, there is a crucial sliver of voters who help determine which candidates win.
These are voters who bounce from one side to the other — the rare swing voters.
And all throughout 2026, NPR has had a front-row seat to how these folks think, listening in as voters in different swing states reflect on President Trump, the political issues that matter to them, and who they might vote for going forward.
In this case, these voters supported Joe Biden in 2020 and then swung to backing Trump in 2024.
They all participated in the Swing Voter Project , which hosts online focus groups every month. They are run by messaging firm Engagious and market research recruiting firm Nelson Recruiting . NPR is a partner on the project.
So just ahead of Election Day, what have we learned from swing voters this year? Here are five takeaways:
Click the audio player above to listen to a special, hour-long discussion about these takeaways and the voters.
This special — "Swing voters and the issues that matter" — was edited by Ben Swasey and produced by Lexie Schapitl.
NPR does not offer or accept money for coverage or interviews. Anyone who makes such an offer or request is not an NPR employee and does not represent NPR.
