Most Americans expect violence following Election Day but remain confident their vote will be counted accurately and are willing to accept the results of the presidential race, a new Scripps News/Ipsos poll found.
The survey of 1,000 Americans finds bipartisan concerns over unrest after Nov. 5. Overall, 62% of respondents – including 70% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans – say violence related to the election is “somewhat “or “very likely.”
And among respondents in the key battleground state of Wisconsin, which was also measured as part of the survey, concerns over violence are higher, at 72%.
And many, 51%, say they would support using the U.S. military to prevent potential threats around Election Day.
But a large majority, 77%, also says they are willing to accept the election results if their preferred candidate loses.
Overall, the survey results paint the picture of a country that remains mostly confident in its elections, but on edge about the potential fallout in the first presidential election since the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol.
Mood Of The Country
Large swaths of both Republicans, 61%, and Democrats, 51%, said they would support using the military specifically to prevent Election Day unrest.
Though the use of the U.S. military has become a topic on the campaign trail, the conversation has focused on former President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the military could be used to deal with the “enemy from within,” a group he’s said includes political rivals.
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Most Americans, 56%, described the state of U.S. democracy as “weak,” including 70% of Republicans and more than four in 10 Democrats.
And many, 51%, say they would support using the U.S. military to prevent violence around Election Day.
“Anxious” was the most dominant answer, at 37%, in a list of words to describe how respondents are feeling heading into Nov. 5. It was followed by “hopeful” at 32% and “ready” at 21%.
Faith In Voting
Though most Americans and Wisconsin voters have faith their votes are secure, there are major partisan divides in how both parties feel about different methods of voting.
An overwhelming majority have faith in in-person voting before and on Election Day. But confidence among Republican and independent voters drops significantly when it comes to other methods.
Just one in three Republicans and 49% of independents feel ballot drop boxes are secure. Slightly more Republicans, at 38%, and independents, at 51%, say mail-in voting is secure.
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Accepting Election Results
And even if their preferred candidate doesn’t come out on top next month, three-fourths of Americans say they are ready to accept the election results. A slightly higher percentage of Democrats, 85%, than Republicans, 77%, say they are likely to accept the results.
Eighteen percent of Republicans and 8% of Democrats said would not commit to accepting the results.
After four years of former President Donald Trump denying he lost the 2020 election, Republicans are much more likely to blame widespread voter fraud if their candidate fails. About four in ten Republicans said widespread voter fraud would be the reason their candidate loses, as opposed to 8% of Democrats saying the same.
A large percentage of both parties agreed their candidate should “challenge the results legally and accept court rulings.”
A small percentage of voters, 8%, said they would support their candidate winning “by any means necessary, even if violence is involved.”
This Scripps News/Ipsos poll was conducted by Ipsos from October 18 to October 20, 2024, using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,028 adults age 18 or older. The sample includes 328 respondents that are currently residents of Wisconsin.
