LGBTQ+ Voters and the 2026 Midterm Elections

Produced by the HRC Foundation

New data from the 2026 Annual LGBTQ+ Community Survey show a community highly likely to vote, focused on civil rights and economic security, and deeply concerned about federal policy direction and key legal protections.

Summary

LGBTQ+ people make up a significant and growing part of the U.S. population. According to the HRC Foundation, about 25.6 million U.S. adults, or 12% of adults, identify as LGBTQ+. LGBTQ+ adults live in every state, and in 40 states plus Washington, D.C., more than one in ten adults identify as LGBTQ+.

As the 2026 midterm elections approach, new findings from the Annual LGBTQ+ Community Survey (ALCS) show a highly engaged community facing significant economic pressure and widespread concern about the future of LGBTQ+ rights. Eighty-seven percent say they definitely plan to vote, and nearly three-quarters say civil rights and equal protections are among the issues most important in shaping their vote.

LGBTQ+ Adults Are Highly Likely to Vote

The clearest finding is the strength of expected participation in the 2026 midterms. Ninety-five percent of respondents indicated that they are registered to vote; eighty-seven percent of those registered voters said they definitely plan to vote, and another 7.5% said they probably will.

This high level of planned voting aligns with other HRC Foundation research showing that LGBTQ+ adults closely follow politics and think about what the election could mean for them.

87% definitely plan to vote in the 2026 midterm elections

Civil Rights Lead LGBTQ+ Voter Priorities

When asked to pick up to three issues most important in shaping their vote, nearly three-quarters of LGBTQ+ respondents (73.7%) chose civil rights and equal protections for LGBTQ+ people, people of color, women, people of faith, and others.

The findings also show that LGBTQ+ voters are weighing a broad range of issues. Economic stability, inflation, and the cost of living are the second-most common concerns at 35.9%, followed by government accountability and corruption at 32.5%. Other top concerns include health care, democracy and elections, abortion and reproductive rights, and immigration and border policy.

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