Washington Surveys
How Washingtonians view elections, politics and governance.
Survey Reports
With the 2026 midterm elections over and as elected leaders turn their attention to governing, a new survey by the Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service at Washington State University and Better Choices for Democracy finds that more than four in five Washingtonians value elected leaders who work across party lines to address issues facing the Evergreen state. However, relatively few express strong trust in Olympia to handle issues that matter to their community. Survey findings show a sharp contrast between what the public would like to see from their elected leaders, how state government functions and how legislators behave.
With just a few days until Election Day, a first-of-its kind benchmark study conducted by the Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service at Washington State University and Better Choices for Democracy finds that Washingtonians are concerned about mail ballots arriving in time to be counted. Washingtonians also express deep concerns about people being misled by AI-generated images, audio, or videos, and the potential for federal interference in elections. On the positive side, voters in the Evergreen state are confident in how elections are administered by state and local election officials.