Poll reveals alarming level of fear of whether 2024 elections will be 'fair,' ballot counting accurate
A new poll released Thursday revealed an alarming level of fear among Americans over whether the 2024 elections will be "fair" and if ballots will be counted accurately.
According to the Suffolk University/USA Today poll, 46% of registered Republicans said they had no confidence ballots would be accurately counted and reported after people across the country head to the polls in November.
When narrowed to those supporting former President Donald Trump, who argued the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" from him, 52% said they lacked confidence ballots would be counted accurately.
The poll found a stark divide, however, when it came to registered Democrats, 81% of whom said they were "very" confident the 2024 elections would be "fair." Just 14% of Republicans felt the same.
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It also found a large majority of voters (83%) worried about "threats to democracy," but they are divided over what they see as the actual threat.
A plurality of 18% said Trump was the greatest threat, while 10% pointed to government corruption and dysfunction and 8% cited immigration and open borders.
When asked which party was more responsible for threatening democracy, voters were split with 40% blaming Democrats and 40% blaming Republicans.
A 59% majority said it was "appropriate" for those participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol to face criminal prosecution, while 32% said it was inappropriate and should be reversed.
Fewer Americans, however, placed blame for the riot on Trump nearly three years later. Forty-three percent said the former president bore "a lot of blame," down from 48% in 2021. Twenty-eight percent of Americans in both years said Trump wasn't to blame at all.
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Concerning prosecutions against Trump in Georgia, Washington, D.C., and New York, 52% said they were appropriate, a majority driven by the 96% of Democrats who agreed. Forty-three percent said the prosecutions were inappropriate and should be reversed, a number driven by 85% of Republicans who agreed.
Independents were largely split 48%-42% that the prosecutions were appropriate, with 9% undecided.
Trump held a slight edge (44%-43%) over President Biden in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, but that lead grew to 39%-37% when voters were asked about a third-party option (17%).