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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Indivisible and Lake Research Partners released new polling showing that key voters across 2026 and 2028 battleground states, and voters of color across the South, strongly favor an agenda that pairs lowering everyday costs with taking on corruption and powerful interests – and find that combination more persuasive and credible than either affordability or accountability alone.
The findings point to a clear messaging opportunity: voters want lowering costs to be the tangible promise, but see accountability and anti-corruption reforms as the mechanism for delivering it. Voters believe the system is rigged to benefit politicians, powerful interests, and corporations at the expense of ordinary people, and they want elected leaders to do more than just talk about the economy. They want elected leaders to put forward a concrete plan to lower costs by tackling the corruption and special interests they believe drive economic unfairness. See the findings memo here.
“Voters see a political and economic system that is rigged against them, and they don’t trust politicians to solve their kitchen-table problems if they’re not ready to take on the broken system,” said Ezra Levin, co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible. “This polling shows that pairing affordability with accountability is more persuasive and more credible than either message on its own. Voters want to know not just that candidates will lower costs, but they want to know how they plan to do it. They want to see their elected leaders taking on corporate power, corrupt politicians, and special interest as a critical part of getting their day-to-day prices down. This data presents an opportunity for democrats: reject the political status quo, take on the powerful interests rigging the rules, and offer a concrete plan to make life more affordable for working families. Voters are more eager than ever for a government that is of, for, and by the people.”
“Our poll finds that voters do not see affordability and accountability as separate issues. They believe families pay more when politicians and powerful corporate interests rig the rules for themselves,” said Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners. “Voters are clear: they want leaders who will make life more affordable. They understand that means taking on the corruption, corporate greed, and special-interest influence that keep costs high.”
Key Findings:
Affordability and accountability outperforms either message alone.
- Battleground voters overwhelmingly agree that politicians need a concrete plan to make life more affordable (90%) and must focus on both lowering costs and addressing corruption (88%). 73% of voters are more likely to support a candidate who fights for both lower costs and accountability.
Voters see a rigged system and want their elected leaders to fix it.
- Voters believe the economy is rigged to benefit powerful interests at the expense of ordinary people. 71% of voters are extremely concerned about politicians rigging the system, while a majority of 2026 battleground voters say rising costs are primarily caused by greedy corporations, corrupt CEOs, and price gouging, compared with a smaller share who attribute rising costs primarily to government spending and waste.
Anti-establishment outsiders who take on corruption are viewed more favorably than either party because they have that credibility.
- Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Zohran Mamdani, and the No Kings movement are almost twice as favorable as Hakeem Jeffries, and Chuck Schumer.
- At the same time, voters express significant dissatisfaction with both parties in Congress. Among 2026 battleground voters, 53% view Democrats in Congress unfavorably, compared with 70% who view Republicans in Congress unfavorably. At least nine in ten voters across the surveyed electorates consider corruption in Congress at least somewhat serious.
Voters want concrete action against powerful interests.
- Voters overwhelmingly support specific reforms that connect accountability to their economic lives: 91% favoring a ban on congressional stock trading, 82% supporting limits on billionaire influence over elections, 85% favor protecting ratepayers from utility increases driven by data centers, and 81% favor cracking down on corporate price gouging.
The findings are particularly pronounced among voters of color across the South. 97% strongly agree that politicians need a plan to make life more affordable, while 90% strongly agree that the country must focus on both lowering costs and addressing corruption. Additionally, 93% strongly agree that “corrupt insiders are making deals to keep themselves out of jail and continue getting richer.”
The survey was commissioned by Indivisible Action and conducted by Lake Research Partners from August 6–18, 2026, among 1,015 likely 2026 battleground voters, 532 likely 2028 Senate battleground voters, and 454 voters of color across the South. The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points for the 2026 battleground sample, ±4.2 points for the 2028 battleground sample, and ±4.6 points for voters of color across the South.
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Indivisible Action (PAC) channels grassroots energy into electing progressive candidates who will work towards an inclusive democracy that provides for the needs of all people. Indivisible Action provides tools, training and strategic guidance to local Indivisible groups as they flex their electoral power. Indivisible Action also makes its own endorsements of federal and gubernatorial candidates, grounded in endorsements made by local Indivisible activists.