Research

April Current Events Survey

April 23, 2026

In April 2026, Galvanize Action surveyed ideologically-moderate women to see how they were feeling about current events.

QUESTION #1
In the month since the start of the Iran war, the average price of unleaded gas has spiked more than a dollar a gallon, hitting $4.02 per gallon as of April 1 (source: NBC News). Which of the following best describes how this increase has affected your household’s daily spending, if at all?

It hasn’t affected my spending and I have not made any changes	18%
I’ve made minor adjustments, like driving less	29%
I’ve cut back on non-essential spending (e.g., dining out, entertainment) to offset the cost	26%
I’ve had to reduce essential spending (e.g., groceries, utilities, healthcare) to manage the cost	15%
My household is in financial distress because of the increase	12%

A majority of women in this audience (82%) claim the recent increase in gas prices has affected their spending in some way and have had to make adjustments. For most, the adjustments have been minor and manageable. Twenty nine percent say they’ve made minor adjustments such as driving less, and just over a quarter (26%) of the full sample say they’ve cut back on non-essential spending to offset the costs. At the same time, just over a quarter (27%) say they have either had to cut back on essential spending (such as groceries) or that they are in financial distress.

QUESTION #2
Thinking about the past year since President Trump began his second term, as a whole, would you say you approve or disapprove of President Trump?

Strongly approve	13%
Somewhat approve	21%
Somewhat disapprove	19%
Strongly disapprove	47%

The majority (66%) of respondents either somewhat or strongly disapprove of President Trump when considering his second term, and nearly half (47%) the sample say they strongly disapprove. These findings are consistent with the last time Galvanize Action asked this question of a different sample of moderate white women in our Start of Year Survey (January 2026).

QUESTION #3
How concerned are you that members of the current presidential administration are using their positions for personal financial gain?

Very concerned	47%
Somewhat concerned	32%
Not too concerned	15%
Not at all concerned	6%

The majority (79%) of respondents say they are either somewhat or very concerned that members of the current presidential administration are using their positions for personal financial gain, and nearly half (47%) of women in the sample say they are very concerned.

QUESTION #4
There are currently proposals being made in Congress that would require voters to prove U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. This would mean providing documents like a passport or birth certificate, where the name must exactly match your current ID. If your name has changed (for example, due to marriage or divorce), you would need to obtain official, certified copies of those records from the relevant government office. Which of the following best reflects your view of these requirements?

This places an unfair burden on eligible voters for something that is already their legal right	27%
I support verifying citizenship, but these specific requirements are too difficult for many people to meet	16%
These requirements are acceptable, but only if the government helps people obtain the necessary documents	15%
I’m unsure because I can see legitimate concerns on both sides	11%
This is a reasonable and appropriate requirement to ensure only eligible citizens are voting	30%

Responses to this question are divided, with a plurality (30%) of respondents saying they think these requirements are reasonable and appropriate and 27% saying they place an unfair burden on eligible voters. Previous research suggests that the majority of ideologically-moderate white women are in strong support of voter ID requirements. Above, we see that this support extends to current proposals, but with some concerns about how obtainable these requirements would be.

QUESTION #5
How motivated, if at all, would you say you are to vote in the 2026 midterm elections?

Less motivated than I usually am	14%
I’m rarely motivated to vote, and this election is no different	15%
I’m always motivated to vote, and this election is no different	37%
More motivated than I usually am	35%

The majority (72%) of women surveyed report being motivated to vote in the 2026 midterm elections, whether that is normal for them (37%) or they are more motivated than usual (35%).

QUESTION #6
Which of the following best describes your plan to vote in the 2026 midterm elections?

I plan to vote Democrat	35%
I plan to vote Republican	28%
I plan to vote, but I’m not sure yet how I’ll vote	22%
I do not plan to vote	15%

While more women surveyed say they plan to vote Democrat (35%) than Republican (28%), nearly a quarter (22%) say they are not sure yet how they’ll vote, and an additional 15% say they do not plan to vote in the midterms at all.

Vote Motivation by Vote Choice

Galvanize Action also analyzed answers to question five based on how respondents answered question six:

The majority (62%) of those who say they plan to vote Democrat say they’re more motivated to vote than usual, while the majority (58%) of those who report planning to vote Republican say they are always motivated and this election is no different. Almost half (47%) of those who aren’t sure yet who they’re voting for are always motivated to vote.