This Valentine’s Day brings some rather uplifting news—love and humor seem to rise above political divides. An interesting find from a recent Fox News poll reveals that 60% of voters think it’s indeed possible to fall for someone with opposing political opinions. Surprisingly, 10% claim they’ve experienced this firsthand, while the remaining 30% aren’t so convinced.
So, who’s most open to love across these divides? It appears that fathers, moderates, and men lacking a college education are among the most likely candidates, alongside Republicans, white evangelical Christians, independents, Catholics, and those under 30.
In terms of what people value in a partner, humor wins out decisively—77% of voters prioritize sharing a sense of humor with their partner rather than their political views, which stands at 22%. This represents a 15-point rise in the importance of shared political beliefs since 2015.
When broken down further, it’s clear that women, younger voters, and Democrats tend to prioritize political alignment more than men, older voters, and Republicans.
Although this question hasn’t been asked frequently since 1997, belief in love at first sight is on the rise, moving from 51% in 2015 to 59% now. Among men who are married without children, Republican men, and Catholics, a significant two-thirds assert they believe in love at first sight.
However, the dating landscape seems to be shifting, with relationships dropping from 69% to 58% since 2015. Notably, independents, men, college graduates, and Republicans report the largest decreases. On a brighter note, about 89% of married voters currently declare they’re in a loving relationship.
In general, 40% of people are still on the lookout for that special someone, which is a slight increase from 30% a decade ago. And while love may feel distant, half of those not in love still hold onto the belief in love at first sight.
crosstabulation table and top line
The Fox News survey, conducted from January 23-26, 2026, was led by Beacon Research and Shaw & Company Research. It involved 1,005 registered voters chosen randomly from national voter files. Respondents participated via landline (106), mobile (645), or completed the survey online following a text message invitation (254). The overall results carry a margin of error of ±3 percentage points, with varying margins in subgroups, influenced by question wording and order. Weights are applied to demographics like age, race, education, and region for representation in the registered voter population, using data from the latest American Community Survey and Fox News Voter Analysis.
