Republicans more skeptical than Democrats about election vote count: Poll

Nov 1

Lauren Taylor Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Reporter), Alex Delia (Producer), Jack Henry (Video Editor)

A new poll finds Americans are deeply divided on whether the 2024 election will be fairly counted, with Republicans particularly skeptical. The AP-NORC survey reveals that while most voters have confidence in their local election offices, trust in a nationwide count is considerably lower among Republicans than Democrats.

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The survey shows that 50% of Republican voters have at least “a great deal” of confidence in their local election officials. However, this drops sharply when considering the national level, with only 1 in 4 Republicans expressing confidence that the nationwide vote will be counted accurately.

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Among Democrats, about 75% report confidence in vote counts at all levels — local, state and nationwide.

The Cook Political Report changed the Pennsylvania Senate race from "lean Democrat" to "toss up" due to tightening competition. — Getty Images

This election marks the first presidential race since former President Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen 2020 election took hold among many Republican voters, contributing to a lingering sense of mistrust.

In fact, 6 in 10 Republicans say they believe voting by ineligible people is a major problem in the U.S., while only 2 in 10 Democrats feel the same.

Spreadsheets of raw data associated with every ballot cast are not subject to public scrutiny, according to a recent ruling by a Pennsylvania court. — Getty Images

The divide also extends to age. Around 7 in 10 voters ages 60 and older report confidence in vote counts at all levels, whereas only about half of voters ages 18 to 29 feel the same.

Younger voters, who have experienced fewer elections, often express more skepticism, with some noting that exposure to misinformation has contributed to their doubts.

Among the issues dividing the two major parties, 50% of Democrats view voter suppression as a significant problem, while one-third of Republicans agree. And when it comes to mail-in ballots, 6 in 10 Democrats are confident these will be counted accurately, compared to only 1 in 10 Republicans.

With just under 4 in 10 voters expressing concerns about foreign interference, election officials nationwide are focusing on educating voters about the process to build trust.

Tags: 2024 Elections, Dominion Voting Systems, Donald Trump, Early voting, Election, Election security, Federal Election Commission, Jan. 6, Kamala Harris, Mail-in voting, Poll, Proxy voting, Ranked choice voting, Voter fraud, Voter registration, Voting, Voting machines, Voting Rights Act

[Lauren Taylor]

A NEW POLL REVEALS SIGNIFICANT DISTRUST AMONG AMERICANS ABOUT THE ACCURACY OF VOTE COUNTING NATIONWIDE. AND IT HAS OFFICIALS WORRYING THIS MAY AFFECT THE CREDIBILITY OF THE 2024 ELECTION.

THE AP-NORC SURVEY CONDUCTED ON OVER A THOUSAND ADULTS SHOWS THAT MANY VOTERS TRUST THEIR LOCAL ELECTION OFFICES MORE THAN THE OVERALL NATIONAL VOTE COUNT. THIS DIVISION IN CONFIDENCE REFLECTS A SHARP PARTISAN SPLIT.

FOR EXAMPLE, ABOUT 50-PERCENT OF REPUBLICAN VOTERS SAY THEY HAVE A “GREAT DEAL” OR “QUITE A BIT” OF TRUST IN THEIR LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS.

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE NATIONAL SCENE, THAT TRUST DROPS SIGNIFICANTLY… WITH ONLY 1 IN 4 REPUBLICANS HAVING THE SAME LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE.

MEANWHILE, OVER 70 PERCENT OF DEMOCRATS SAY THEY HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT VOTES WILL BE ACCURATELY COUNTED, WHETHER IT’S LOCALLY, STATEWIDE, OR NATIONWIDE. COMPARE THIS TO REPUBLICANS… WHERE CONFIDENCE TOPS AT JUST UNDER HALF LOCALLY, PLUMMETING TO JUST 24-PERCENT NATIONALLY.

OVERALL, 6 IN 10 VOTERS FEEL CONFIDENT IN THEIR LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS, WHILE JUST HALF FEEL THE SAME ABOUT THE NATIONWIDE COUNT.

THE 2024 ELECTION MARKS THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL RACE SINCE FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SPREAD CLAIMS OF WIDESPREAD FRAUD IN 2020… A CLAIM DEBUNKED BUT STILL RESONANT FOR MANY REPUBLICAN VOTERS.

IN FACT… 6 IN 10 REPUBLICANS BELIEVE THAT INELIGIBLE VOTING IS A MAJOR PROBLEM, WHILE ONLY 2 IN 10 DEMOCRATS FEEL THE SAME.

AND MAIL-IN BALLOTS ARE A POINT OF CONFIDENCE FOR 6 IN 10 DEMOCRATS BUT ONLY 1 IN 10 REPUBLICANS BELIEVE THESE WILL BE ACCURATELY COUNTED.

EXPERTS SAY MISINFORMATION IS A BIG PART OF THE CHALLENGE, AND ELECTION OFFICIALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE WORKING HARD TO EDUCATE VOTERS. WITH 4 IN 10 AMERICANS CONCERNED ABOUT POSSIBLE FOREIGN INTERFERENCE, THERE’S AN ONGOING EFFORT TO REASSURE VOTERS THAT EVERY BALLOT COUNTS.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.

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