# Half of American voters say they would cast their ballot for a democratic socialist: Poll

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/half-of-american-voters-say-they-would-cast-their-ballot-for-a-democratic-socialist-poll/
- Published: 2026-10-28T17:49:57+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-04T00:44:39+00:00
- Original publisher: The Hill (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6178694-voters-support-democratic-socialist/
- Topics: Americas, Elections, Politics, World

## Key points

- 50% said they would ever vote for a democratic socialist.
- 41% said they would not, and 9% were unsure.
- A specified democratic socialist trailed a moderate Republican 48% to 52% in a separate hypothetical contest.

## Summary

Half of registered US voters said they would ever vote for a candidate who is a democratic socialist, according to a survey conducted by The Economist and YouGov from 23 to 26 October 2026. Asked about their willingness to support such a candidate, 50% said yes, 41% said no and 9% were unsure. The poll surveyed 1,440 registered voters shortly before the midterm elections. Its question measured openness to a candidate described by a political label; it did not ask respondents to choose a named candidate in a particular race.

That distinction matters in the survey’s separate hypothetical contest. Given a choice between a democratic socialist described as supporting higher taxes on billionaires, Medicare for All and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and a moderate Republican described as favouring spending cuts and a smaller budget deficit, respondents split 48% to 52% in favour of the Republican. Willingness to consider a democratic socialist also varied sharply by party: 95% of Democrats and 54% of independents said they would, compared with 8% of Republicans. The findings show that the label is acceptable to many voters, while leaving open how they would vote once candidates and policies are specified.

## Coverage

- [The Hill: Half of American voters say they would cast their ballot for a democratic socialist: Poll](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6178694-voters-support-democratic-socialist/)
- [The Economist/YouGov: The Economist/YouGov Poll, 23–26 October 2026](https://d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/econTabReport_AdxdJpN.pdf)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.