Poll: Majority ‘Less Likely’ to Trust Election Results that Take ‘Days or Weeks’

Overall, most, 60.2 percent, trust that America’s elections are both “fair and accurate,” but of those, only 43.2 percent “strongly trust” that is the case. Four in ten, however, distrust that America’s elections are fair and accurate, and of those, 21.9 percent “strongly” distrust.

Democrats are far more trusting of America’s election system, as 90.8 percent trust it to be fair and accurate — a sentiment held by only 26.8 percent of Republicans and 62.2 percent of independents.

Nearly three-quarters of Republicans, specifically, distrust that United States elections are fair and accurate. 

While the overall majority tend to trust United States elections, that trust drops significantly when election results take “days or weeks to tabulate.”

Most, 54.8 percent, said when election results take “days or weeks to tabulate” it makes them less likely to trust the election, and of those, one-third said they are “much less likely” to trust it under those circumstances.

While 68.1 percent of Democrats said delayed results make them “more likely” to trust the election outcome, 80.4 percent of Republicans and 51.6  percent of independents disagree. 

The survey was taken November 16-20, 2022, among 1,084 likely general election voters and has a +/- 2.9 percent margin of error. 

It follows the highly anticipated midterm elections, which resulted in Democrats maintaining a slim majority in the Senate and Republicans taking over the House. However, those outcomes were not immediately known. It was not until the race was called for Trump-backed Kevin Kiley (R-CA) — one week after the election — that House Republicans officially secured a majority in the House, reaching the 218 threshold. 

A similar story can be told for the Senate, as Democrats were not projected to keep the Senate until days later, with Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) defeating Republican Adam Laxalt days after the race. 

During his 2024 presidential campaign speech, former President Donald Trump said he would “immediately demand voter ID, same day voting, and only paper ballots,” adding, “and we want all votes counted by election night.”

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