*Black voters responding to the 2026 Black Census Project are signaling plans to participate in the midterm elections even as their confidence in the institutions seeking their votes has fallen to striking lows.
Early findings released Oct. 5 by Black Futures Lab show just 3% of respondents trust the federal government, according to reporting by The Black Wall Street Times. The same percentage said they trust elected officials overall, while trust in Black elected officials reached 23%.
The preliminary results are based on 6,287 completed surveys from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and locations outside the states.
Participation Doesn’t Mean Confidence
“The headline from this early data is clear,” Black Futures Lab Executive Director Kristin Powell said during an Oct. 5 virtual press briefing, according to The Black Wall Street Times. “Black people are not interested in restoring an old democracy. They want a government where they have a seat at the decision-making table beyond the ballot box. Black people are making a case for co-governance.”
Powell cautioned against interpreting participation as satisfaction.
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“Don’t confuse participation with confidence,” she said.
The distinction is important. The findings represent people who responded to the Black Census and should not be interpreted as a scientific measurement showing that only 3% of all Black Americans trust the federal government.
Black Voters Could Be Crucial in Midterms
The findings arrive weeks before the 2026 midterm elections, when Black voters could play an important role in races across the country.
Pew Research Center estimates that about 30.65 million Black Americans are eligible to vote in 2026, representing roughly 12% of the nation’s eligible electorate.
Black Futures Lab describes the 2026 Black Census as the third edition of its national project and ultimately aims to collect 300,000 responses to help shape public policy, organizing and political engagement.
Respondents Identify Economic Priorities
Distrust of institutions did not translate into an absence of policy demands.
According to The Black Wall Street Times’ reporting on the early data, 90% of respondents favored making college affordable. Support reached 84% for reparations, requiring data centers to pay more for electricity, and regulating artificial intelligence while protecting data privacy.
Food security drew 79% support, while 73% backed government help with parks and green spaces and 66% supported assistance with child care.
Respondents’ personal goals were similarly focused on everyday economic pressures, with getting out of debt ranking first, followed by improving physical health.
A Larger Demand for Political Power
The early findings suggest a constituency that remains willing to participate in elections while demanding considerably more from the institutions governing their lives.
“Black people are making a case for co-governance,” Powell said.
For candidates courting Black voters in the final weeks before the midterms, the Black Census data offers a warning: turnout should not be mistaken for trust.
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