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