NPR Special: Swing Voters & the Issues That Matter

People cast ballots on the first day of early voting in New York on Oct. 24. Ryan Murphy/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Ryan Murphy/AFP via Getty Images

Every election, there is a crucial sliver of voters who help determine which candidates win.

These are voters who bounce from one side to the other — the rare swing voters.

And all throughout 2026, NPR has had a front-row seat to how these folks think, listening in as voters in different swing states reflect on President Trump, the political issues that matter to them, and who they might vote for going forward.

In this case, these voters supported Joe Biden in 2020 and then swung to backing Trump in 2024.

They all participated in the Swing Voter Project , which hosts online focus groups every month. They are run by messaging firm Engagious and market research recruiting firm Nelson Recruiting .…