Category: Insights

We built our school bond measure support score to predict how California voters would respond before a single ballot went out. We wanted to see how well it actually held up against real results, so here’s our analysis of how it performed in the June 2026 election.

The 2016 ballot measure for Sound Transit’s $54 billion expansion defied conventional wisdom about voter appetite for expanded rapid transit in Puget Sound. In the early stages of the long road to the measure reaching the ballot, the vast majority of stakeholders and onlookers believed voters lacked the appetite for such an ambitious transit expansion.…

A driver sits at an intersection, turn signal blinking, waiting to make an unprotected left turn. They scan for a gap in oncoming traffic. Behind them, another car inches closer. The driver feels the pressure, the need to move, to not hold anyone up, so when they see their opening, they accelerate through the turn.…

Picture this: “No Solar” yard signs sprouting across a rural community, angry residents packing town halls, and a multi-million-dollar renewable energy project grinding to a halt. Sound familiar? The clean energy industry has a messaging problem. While 81% of Californians support building more solar power stations, only 40% will pay higher electricity rates to make…

August marks National Immunization Month, a time typically reserved for celebrating one of public health’s greatest achievements. Instead, we’re confronting a sobering reality: measles cases in the United States have reached 1,356 confirmed cases across 40 jurisdictions as of mid-July 2025 — a disease we once thought eliminated. This isn’t just a public health crisis.…

After nearly two decades of conducting feasibility research for school districts across California, I’ve learned that successful education funding isn’t just about numbers — it’s about trust. And while that trust is being tested like never before, it’s also an opportunity for districts to engage their communities more deeply, listen more carefully, and build lasting…

At EMC Research, we’ve spent the past 15 years working alongside housing advocates, policymakers, and campaign leaders to make affordable housing a reality for more people. We don’t craft policy ourselves, but we’re deeply committed to providing the research, insights, and strategic guidance that fuel meaningful change. We’re proud to support organizations advancing this work…

We’re thrilled to share that EMC Research has been recognized by the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) at the 2025 Pollie Awards for our work in California’s 76th Assembly District. Known as the “Oscars of political advertising,” the Pollies honor the most effective and innovative work in politics and public affairs each year. Our…

At the culmination of a busy election year, EMC Research is proud to celebrate victories that will have a lasting impact on communities across the country. Our work — through polling, focus groups and custom voter analytics, paired with hands-on strategic consulting — helped drive meaningful change from coast to coast.These successes reflect the tireless…