A nonpartisan, 50-state study of more than 85,000 registered voters, publicly available within days of the election.

Traditional election polling narrows the national conversation to candidate preference and a handful of swing states. This leaves out voters in the other 40+ states, as well as the millions of registered voters who don’t cast a ballot. After Election Day, it takes months before we get detailed data about why people voted the way they did, what issues shape their lives, and what they want from their leaders. By then, elected officials are already governing without insight into what was really driving the public’s vote.

The NORC Civic Health & Elections Project is a large-scale, independent research program that provides a deep understanding of the electorate’s experiences, attitudes, and policy priorities in all 50 states.

Built on NORC’s proven methodology and refined over multiple election cycles.
Surveys more than 85,000 registered voters, including those who choose not to vote.
Publishes the core dataset, interactive dashboards, and mapping tools, all available to the public free of charge within days of the election.

NORC is seeking sponsors and collaborators to shape the research, expand its reach, and increase the impact of the project. We work with foundations, news organizations, researchers, businesses, and civic organizations committed to independent, transparent, and accessible research designed to improve civic discourse and decision-making.

Contact

Jennifer Benz

Director

benz-jennifer@norc.org

How It Works

The NORC Civic Health & Elections Project combines a large-scale survey with linked external data to produce an immediate, publicly accessible picture of the American electorate.

1. Survey the Electorate

In the week before Election Day, NORC surveys more than 85,000 registered voters, including at least 750 in all 50 states, capturing both voters and non-voters.

2. Beyond the Horserace

The study examines the electorate's views on issues impacting their daily lives, including economic mobility, health care, immigration, public safety, AI, trust, and more.

3.

Connect to Location

Survey responses are linked to external data on local demographics, media environments, electoral laws, social policies, and economic conditions, providing context that national polls miss.

4. Release Within Days

The core dataset, interactive dashboards, and mapping tools are made publicly available within days of the election, free and open to anyone. Sponsors and partners receive early access to preliminary findings.

Work with Us

NORC is seeking partners committed to independent, transparent, and accessible research designed to improve civic discourse and decision-making. Here are a few of the many ways to get involved.

Contribute to the Core Mission

Support the overall effort to build a durable, independent source of high-quality civic and elections data. Core sponsors help sustain the scale, transparency, and public accessibility of the research across election cycles.

Sponsor a Topical Module

Partner with NORC to shape questions on specific issues such as health care, religiosity, immigration, or economic mobility. Help determine what questions are asked across all 50 states and among key demographic and geographic subgroups.

Expand Who Is Represented

Fund oversamples of key voter subgroups, such as AANHPI adults, veterans, or voters in battleground congressional districts, to ensure the study captures communities that other surveys miss.

Commission Custom Analysis

Work with NORC to conduct in-depth analysis of specific populations, produce voter segmentations, model the electorate at substate levels, or examine the relationship between local conditions and voting behavior.

Help Democratize the Data

Support efforts to translate findings into accessible products for a wider audience, including plain-language briefs, visual explainers, interactive tools, and localized story packages for journalists and community organizations.

Have Something Else in Mind?

These options reflect how most organizations engage with the project, but they don’t exhaust the possibilities. If you have a different idea for how your organization could contribute or benefit, we’d like to hear it.

All sponsors receive early data access. To discuss opportunities and custom pricing, contact Jennifer Benz at benz-jenny@norc.org.

Our Experts

The NORC Civic Health & Elections Project is led by a team of researchers with decades of experience in public opinion measurement, election methodology, and large-scale survey design.