Franklin & Marshall College Poll Release: June 2026

Dear Readers,

I’m writing to share our summary report for the June 2026 Franklin & Marshall College Poll. I've highlighted a few of the key findings below, but I encourage you to read the full report which is attached. The poll explores the mood of the state’s voters and their positions on a number of contemporary issues--including legislative redistricting practices, skill games, cell phones in schools, and federal government transparency—in addition to their ratings of state political figures. The full report includes cross-tab tables as attachments for four key questions, including personal financial well-being, job approval ratings for Governor Shapiro and President Trump, and ratings of the administration's handling of inflation.

If you want to learn more about the findings or ask questions about this poll, please join me and my colleague Stephen Medvic, the Honorable and Mrs. John C. Kunkel Professor of Government, at 6:30 pm on June 18, for a live conversation about the results. You can join by clicking this link.

Thank you for reading,

Berwood Yost

Key Findings

The June 2026 Franklin & Marshall College Poll finds that the state’s registered voters are deeply concerned about their personal finances and are increasingly dissatisfied with President Trump’s performance. More voters believe the state is “on the wrong track” (47%) than believe it is “headed in the right direction” (36%). The last time a majority of registered voters believed the state was headed in the right direction was January 2020. Nearly half (47%) of respondents say they are “worse off” financially than a year ago, an increase from two in five (36%) respondents in the March 2026 F&M Poll who felt “worse off” (Figure 1). Voters report the economy (35%), including unemployment, housing and real estate costs, and higher gas and utility prices, is the most important problem facing the state. Among those who mention economic problems, Democrats lead Republicans as the party that can best handle the issue, 42% to 24%. The economy is the top mentioned concern of every partisan group.

State Politics

Governor Shapiro’s job approval ratings are holding up pretty well considering how much pessimism voters express. About the same number of voters believe he is doing an “excellent” or “good” job (48%) as governor as believe he is doing a “fair” or “poor” job (48%). Three in four Democrats, almost half of independents, and just over a quarter of Republicans rate the governor’s performance as “excellent” or “good.” Governor Shapiro currently leads his Republican challenger, Stacy Garrity, 50% to 28%, in the 2026 governor’s race.

The survey included questions about four state policy issues and found broad consensus about the policy ideas tested.

● There is widespread support (89%) for limiting access to cell phones in schools.

● Seven in ten (72%) registered voters favor a state law that makes it illegal to discriminate in employment or housing based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

● Seven in ten (71%) registered voters favor regulating and taxing skill games, which is an increase in support since 2024 (60% favored).

● Seven in ten (70%) registered voters support having an independent redistricting commission draw state legislative districts. Most (59%) voters say they oppose the mid-decade redistricting that is currently taking place in some states.

Presidential Ratings

Fewer voters believe President Trump is doing an “excellent” or “good” job (29%) as president than believe he is doing a “fair” or “poor” job (71%), which is a sizable decline since our March poll when his positive approval rating was 39% (Figure 2). His positive approval ratings declined within every partisan group. Two in three Republicans, one in seven independents, and only one in twenty Democrats rate the president’s job performance as “excellent” or “good.” The president’s approval ratings for his specific policy actions around immigration, foreign affairs, and inflation have all declined since October. His administration’s handling of inflation fell from 31% positive in October to 17% positive today. Democrats currently lead Republicans by 12 points, 47% to 35%, in voters’ preferences for the US House of Representatives.

Federal Government Accountability

Good government advocates often suggest that some of the Trump Administration’s practices and policies have harmed public perceptions of government accountability. This survey found that the proportion of the state’s registered voters who agree that the federal government has little corruption and that its operations are open and transparent have changed little since the Biden Administration. But it is notable that the share of voters who “strongly disagree” with those statements has increased significantly since 2021: 73% today compared to 57% in 2021 “strongly disagree” there is little corruption in the federal government and 62% today compared to 44% in 2021 “strongly disagree” that government operations are open and transparent.

Methodology

The survey findings presented in this release are based on the results of interviews conducted June 8 – 14, 2026. The interviews were conducted at the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College. The data included in this release represent the responses of 546 registered Pennsylvania voters, including 233 Democrats, 226 Republicans, and 87 independents.^[1] The sample of voters was obtained from Aristotle. All sampled respondents were notified by mail about the survey. Interviews were completed over the phone and online depending on each respondent’s preference. Survey results were weighted (age, gender, education, geography, vote history, and party registration) using an iterative weighting algorithm to reflect the known distribution of those characteristics. Estimates for age, geography, and party registration are based on active voters within the Pennsylvania Department of State’s voter registration data. Gender and education are estimated using data from the November 2022 CPS Voter Registration Supplement.

The sample error for this survey is +/- 5.1 percentage points when the design effects from weighting are considered. The sample error for questions based on subgroups is larger. In addition to sampling error, this poll is also subject to other sources of non-sampling error. Generally speaking, two sources of error concern researchers most. Non-response bias is created when selected participants either choose not to participate in the survey or are unavailable for interviewing. Response errors are the product of the question and answer process. Surveys that rely on self-reported behaviors and attitudes are susceptible to biases related to the way respondents process and respond to survey questions.

Note: This poll was supported by a gift from Franklin & Marshall College Alumnus Brett Harwood, Class of ’71.

NOTES

^[1] The data reported here is voter REGISTRATION and is consistent with past reporting practices. The survey also asked about self-reported voter IDENTIFICATION, which shows a slightly different partisan split: 43% identify as Republican (n=221), 9% as independent (n=48), and 43% as Democrat (n=222) and the balance not offering a response. Partisan comparisons in this summary show self-reported registration.