Survey Firm Polls 75,000 Voters at 450 Sites for Midterm Exit Data

Survey and market research firm SSRS is conducting the 2026 midterm election exit polls for a group of seven news organizations. The consortium includes NBC News, ABC News, The Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, and MS NOW. Each company receives identical raw data, and NBC News independently analyzes the results for its reporting.

The national sample includes more than 75,000 voters. Interviewers are stationed at over 450 polling locations in 15 Senate battleground states. In these specific states, staff members stand outside at least 30 randomly selected sites. In the remaining states with consequential Senate or governor races, data is collected via phone, mail, and online surveys. State sample sizes range from 500 to 3,000 voters, with 15 states targeting approximately 4,000 interviews each. Alaska’s sample is set at 3,000 and includes early voting sites.

Voters complete paper forms containing about 25 questions as they leave the polls. The questionnaire asks for the candidate’s party in the House race and, in many states, the Senate and governor candidates. It also captures demographics such as age, gender, race, and education level. These demographic details are used to weight the data to match the overall electorate. Interviewers follow a specific counting method, offering the form to every third or fifth person exiting the location. They can complete the survey in English or Spanish.

To capture voters who cast ballots before Election Day, SSRS conducted pre-election surveys. Methods included mailed invitations, telephone calls, text messages, and online forms. Interviewers followed up with these respondents to confirm they voted and to record their final choice. On Election Day, field teams call in results to a central data center three times. The system updates and reweights the dataset in real time as new information arrives.

The process is anonymous. In-person voters fill out the forms themselves and place them in boxes. Remote surveys do not retain personal identifying information. News partners jointly designed the questionnaire and determined the fieldwork methods. State polls include specific questions about local issues and candidates, while the national poll focuses on broader national concerns such as the most important issue facing the country.

NBC News projects race outcomes using some exit poll data on election night. The outlet primarily uses the results to explain voter motivation and turnout patterns. No exit poll results are reported before 5 p.m. ET. For any race, results are not released until all polls in that state are scheduled to close. The data continues to update throughout the night as interviewers submit new counts.