Upward Reader Poll: October 2026

Every weekday, the Upward News newsletter asks readers one question about the day’s news. These are the results of 16 polls from October 2026, with 22,348 votes in all. Readers chose whether to answer, so the numbers describe Upward News readers who voted, not a scientific sample of Americans.

Should hospitals that performed sex-change procedures on minors have to fund detransition care?

Oct. 29 · 1,483 votes Yes 93% · No 3% · Unsure 4%

Should city officials be allowed to post tips on evading ICE?

Oct. 27 · 1,542 votes Yes 2% · No 96% · Unsure 2%

Should leaking classified intel to a journalist carry a prison sentence?

Oct. 26 · 1,815 votes Yes 97% · No 1% · Unsure 2%

How much do you trust midterm election pollsters?

Oct. 23 · 1,659 votes I don’t trust them at all 81% · Only certain pollsters 14% · I mostly trust them 2% · Unsure 3%

How do you feel about Musk’s and Bezos’s goals in space?

Oct. 22 · 1,134 votes Bold and visionary 60% · Cool but doesn’t affect me 20% · Waste of time and resources 15% · Unsure 6%

Which immigration priority is most important to you?

Oct. 21 · 1,496 votes Mass deportations 58% · Border security 35% · Legal immigration cuts 4% · Unsure 4%

Should Americans be allowed to distill spirits at home?

Oct. 20 · 1,201 votes Yes 77% · No 13% · Unsure 9%

Could riots like France’s happen in the US?

Oct. 19 · 1,631 votes They certainly could 92% · Maybe 6% · Impossible 1%

How do you view Effective Altruism?

Oct. 16 · 1,022 votes A quasi-religion or cult 65% · A well-meaning but misguided philosophy 20% · A genuine charity movement 2% · Unsure 13%

Should the US go ahead with purchasing Russian diesel?

Oct. 15 · 1,172 votes No 67% · Yes 21% · Unsure 12%

Should taxpayers help fund Elon Musk’s Terafab chip factory?

Oct. 14 · 1,209 votes No 46% · Yes 39% · Unsure 15%

Should the US still try to buy Greenland outright?

Oct. 13 · 1,305 votes No 67% · Yes 24% · Unsure 9%

Which type of voting do you prefer?

Oct. 9 · 1,797 votes In-person on Election Day 66% · In-person early voting 26% · Mail-in voting 7% · Unsure 1%

Do you approve of the Paramount/Warner Bros. Discovery merger?

Oct. 7 · 975 votes Approve 60% · Disapprove 15% · Unsure 24%

Should the US resume military operations against Iran after the midterms?

Oct. 6 · 1,214 votes Yes 72% · No 8% · Unsure 20%

Do you support slashing federal funds for low-earning college degrees?

Oct. 2 · 1,693 votes Approve 91% · Disapprove 3% · Unsure 6%

How these polls work

Each poll runs once, in that day’s newsletter, and closes when the next edition goes out. Questions are lightly edited for style, and percentages are rounded, so some totals are 99% or 101%. Want to vote in the next one? Subscribe free. Questions about the data: see our FAQ or contact us.