Based on the Pew Research Poll, a majority of voters are somewhat confident that the 2024 presidential race will run smoothly, with accurate counts and the assurance that all ineligible voters will not be able to cast ballots.
The responses show at least 90% in support of Vice President Kamala Harris are somewhat confident the election will be handled and administered well, compared to the 57% of those in support of former President Donald Trump who are confident in the election running smoothly.
The analysis was based on the survey of 5,110 adults, including 4,025 registered voters from Sept. 30 through Oct. 6.
“It’s really extraordinary in some ways that we’re even having this conversation right, almost four years since January 6 and given everything that’s transpired,” said Dr. Asher Hildebrand, a professor of the practice at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. “Even though Congress has tightened the electoral count, and has kind of closed some of the pathways through which a president could challenge the results, there’s still plenty of ground in the system we have for a losing candidate to cause trouble, and if enough trouble is caused at the margins, that could be decisive.”
Eighty-five percent of those in support of Harris say it will be clear who wins the presidential election, compared to the 58% of those in support of Trump. And, 85% of those in support of Harris are more confident that mail-in ballots will be counted correctly than the 38% in support of Trump.
Seventy-three percent of those supporting Harris are also more confident that the 2024 presidential election is secure from hacking and other technological threats, unlike the 32% of those in favor of Trump.
Additionally, only 20% of voters are highly confident the U.S. Supreme Court would be politically neutral if it rules on legal issues in the 2024 election.
According to Pew Research, the gap in opinions has continued to widen drastically compared to 2018, when the gap separated parties by only 8% that the midterm election would be run well.
By 2020, the gap reached 22%; it’s 33% this year.
Some of the topics dividing voters surround both absentee and mail-in ballots. Still, a majority of both parties are confident that in-person voting will be accurate, with 93% of those in support of Harris compared to 77% in support of Trump.
City officials are continuing to reassure voters after several ballot drop boxes became targets for arson in Vancouver, Wash., and Portland, Ore., asking that those who had utilized the boxes check the status of their ballots online or through county auditors.
Five days away from Election Day, voter security remains a high priority across the country.
For example, Florida Supervisors of Elections underwent rigorous security inspections to keep paper ballots safe, according to a video the department posted on X, allowing voters to get an idea of how offices are equipped with alarms, cameras, two-factor authentication, sensors, locks, and additional physical and cyber security measures.
