Sixty Percent of Americans Will Vote Based on a Candidate’s Stance on the Epstein Files

National Survey Finds Americans Are Following Epstein Files Closely

WASHINGTON - The National Organization for Women (NOW), the nation's leading grassroots membership-based advocacy group dedicated to defending women's rights, today announced the results of a new nationwide survey showing that the release of the Epstein files will be a deciding factor in how 60% of people vote in upcoming elections.

How a Candidate Handles the Epstein Files Will Impact Votes in Upcoming Elections

The survey, conducted by Lincoln Park Strategies, shows a clear majority of American adults are following news about the release of the Epstein files closely, with 55% saying they are following them closely, with 22% of those who say they are following "very closely."

Attention cuts across party lines. Majorities of Republicans (55%), Trump voters (55%), Democrats (66%), and Harris voters (70%) say they are all paying attention.

'The data identifies three distinct persuadable constituencies that, in combination, represent a meaningful electoral threat to incumbents and candidates who are seen as indifferent to holding perpetrators accountable," says Stefan Hankin, Lincoln Park Founder and President.

These groups, for whom the Epstein issue is central to their concerns, are:

• Soft Republicans (28%): Voters who have not yet decided whether this issue will affect their vote.

• Independents (47%): This group, particularly those in swing states (61%), matches the intensity of Democratic voters on the issue.

• Ticket-Splitters (78%): Voters who supported Biden in 2020 but voted Republican in 2024.

Women Feel Less Safe Since the Release of the Epstein Files

Sixty-three percent of women say women feel less safe reporting abuse and sexual assault in the wake of the Epstein files, compared to 46% of men. This gender gap is one of the largest in the survey.

"Women feel less safe, but the majority of men do not recognize that experience," says National NOW President Kim Villanueva. "They don't experience the fear of violence or the threat of violence in their lives."

Additional data proves that the demand for accountability is particularly tense among Gen Z and women of color, with 76% of Gen Z closely following the news about the Epstein files, and 78% saying it will impact their vote. Women of color show the sharpest alarm regarding women's safety and institutional failure. Sixty-nine percent of women of color say women feel less safe reporting abuse after the Epstein files. This is a statistically significant result and the highest rate of any racial or gender group in the survey.

"The data in this poll shows that voters are paying attention to how lawmakers and political candidates are treating sexual violence survivors," says National NOW President Kim Villanueva. "This November, women will remember who demanded transparency, accountability, and justice, and who prioritizes protecting abusers over protecting women and girls."

Methodology

A nationally representative sample of 1,004 interviews among adults aged 18+ was conducted from February 13 through February 22, 2026, using an online survey. The results were weighted to ensure proportional responses. The Bayesian confidence interval for 1,008 interviews is 3.5, which is roughly equivalent to a margin of error of ±3.1 at the 95% confidence level.