2026 U.S. Midterms

Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults get their midterm election info from creators.

In a new SaySo x YouGov study, we asked 2,000 U.S. adults how they're keeping up with the 2026 midterm elections. Creators are now a core part of how people get informed and form opinions.

Read the press release See the full results

64%

of U.S. adults get information about the 2026 midterms from online creators

At least weekly 43%
Less often 21%

Gen Z (18 to 29)77%
Millennials (30 to 45)67%

Five things to know

52%
of weekly creator-news consumers say a creator has influenced their view of a candidate or issue
46%
would listen if a creator they follow raised a new issue
54%
always or often check creator content against another source
26%
of Gen Z kept scrolling political content even when it made them anxious
67%
say they’re likely to vote in November

People turn to creators for what traditional media misses.

The top reason is coverage of topics and perspectives they don’t find elsewhere.

They cover topics or perspectives I don’t get from traditional news
47%
I find them more engaging or relatable
39%
They explain complicated issues in an easy-to-understand way
37%
I already follow them for other content
34%

Of those who get election news from creators at least weekly.

Creators are becoming political opinion-shapers.

Creators aren’t just driving trends. They’re shaping how people think about candidates, issues and the election itself.

52%

of those who get election news from creators at least weekly say information from a creator has influenced their opinion of a candidate, issue, or the 2026 midterms

46%

of those who use social media would likely listen if a creator they follow started talking about a political issue they hadn’t paid attention to before

People still want to be informed, they just want news delivered differently. After nearly 30 years in traditional media, moving into creator-led journalism has shown me how powerful it can be to meet audiences where they are, tell stories in an authentic voice and build trust through a more direct relationship with readers.

Marc Istook

Audiences aren't taking everything they see on social media at face value.

Trust is split almost evenly between creators and traditional media, and most people say they double-check what creators tell them.

34%trust creators more
36%trust both equally
30%trust traditional news more

54%

“Always” or “often” double-check election information from creators against another source.

21% always
33% often

Baby boomers are the most diligent: 27% “always” fact-check creator content about elections, the highest of any generation.

Of those who get election news from creators at least weekly.

Political content is piling up. Clarity isn't.

U.S. adults are showing signs of election-related information overload, but greater exposure doesn’t necessarily translate into greater understanding.

30%

have encountered the same political stories or claims repeatedly

28%

have become less certain about what information to trust

37%

say election-related content they see on social media has left them feeling neither more nor less informed

Gen Z is more likely to get caught in the doomscroll than other generations.

26%Gen Z
18%Older generations

25%Gen Z
13%Other generations

People are understandably fatigued. When you’re seeing headlines designed for outrage and you’re not sure what to trust anymore, it’s impossible not to feel anxious. But this is not the moment to tune out. We built SaySo to help you focus on what actually matters and leave you feeling more informed instead of overwhelmed.

Cydney AdamsHead of Product, SaySo and Caliber

Can AI be trusted?

Americans are divided on turning to AI for election information. Half wouldn’t use it at all, but a growing group would use it to check what they see online.

50%

would not use AI for any of the election-related topics asked about

1 in 5

(21%) would use AI tools to fact-check political claims they encounter online

Fact-checking political claims
21%
Candidates’ positions on issues
17%
Explanations of political issues or policies
17%
Election results
15%
Voting dates and deadlines
14%
Where and how to vote
11%

People are turning to AI partly because the media industry has given them reasons to look elsewhere. That means we have to give people more control and confidence in how they consume news. AI can absolutely help with that, but confidence shouldn’t come from simply being given an answer. It should come from understanding the sources, having the context and ultimately making up your own mind.

Dion Bailey

Get the full picture.

Read the announcement or dig into every number in the full results.

Read the press release See the full results

Your news, above the noise.

Vetted creators, real stories, zero doom scroll.

Currently available on iOS devices.

About this study

SaySo commissioned YouGov to conduct the survey. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov. The total sample size was 2,000 U.S. adults. The margin of error is +/- 2.46. The respondents were matched to a sampling frame on gender, age, race, and education. The sampling frame was constructed by stratified sampling from the 2024 Current Population Survey (CPS) Voting and Registration supplements, and the 2024 AP Votecast exit poll, including demographics and 2024 presidential vote. Fieldwork was undertaken between September 16 - September 28, 2026.

Figures are weighted. Not every question was asked of every respondent; the questions and their unweighted bases are listed below. Grouped figures (for example, “likely to vote”) combine the two strongest answers on the same side of the scale.

“How often do you get information about the 2026 midterm elections from online creators?” Base: 2,000.
“Why do you get election-related content from online creators? Select all that apply.” Base: 883.
“Has information you’ve seen from an online creator influenced your opinion of a political candidate, issue, or the 2026 midterm elections?” Base: 883.
“Imagine a creator you already like and regularly follow begins talking about a political issue you haven’t paid much attention to before. How likely would you be to listen to what they have to say?” Base: 1,845.
“When it comes to election-related information, do you…” Base: 883.
“When you see election-related content from an online creator, how often do you check another source to see whether the information is accurate?” Base: 883.
“When you encounter election-related content on social media, which of the following have you experienced? Select all that apply.” Base: 2,000.
“Overall, has the election-related content you see on social media made you feel more or less informed about the key issues in the 2026 midterm elections?” Base: 1,845.
“Thinking about the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, would you use AI to learn more information about the following topics?” Base: 2,000.
“How closely are you following information about the 2026 U.S. midterm elections?” Base: 2,000.
“How likely are you to vote in the November 2026 election?” Base: 2,000.

Generations: Gen Z ages 18 to 29, Millennials ages 30 to 45, Gen X ages 46 to 61, Baby boomers ages 62 to 80, Silent Generation ages 81 to 98. Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.