Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2021
CONTACT: press@secure-democracy.org
NEW POLL: Republican Voters Oppose Policies that Increase Partisanship in Elections, Restrict Voter Access
Majority of Republican Voters Trust That Their Votes Were Counted in 2020 Election
Washington, D.C.— An overwhelming majority of conservative voters – 91 percent – reported positive personal experiences voting in the 2020 elections, according to a new national poll released today by Secure Democracy and administered by Ragnar Research.
The poll also found that more than seven in 10 conservative voters believe partisan figures are trying to influence the voting process and expressed opposition to partisan interference by either political party, regardless of whether those figures are Democrats or Republicans.
Among the poll’s key findings:
91% of Republican voters said their personal voting experience during the 2020 elections was either “very good” or “somewhat good”; yet
80% of Republican voters said that the 2020 elections were not managed well.
73% of Republican voters said they either “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree” that partisan figures are trying to influence the voting process too much.
“An overwhelming majority of voters of all political affiliations – including Republican voters – fear partisan interference in our elections, so the last thing any lawmakers should be doing right now is politicizing election administration,” said Sarah Walker, executive director of Secure Democracy. “Our research shows that while voters may have had positive personal experiences voting last year, there is work to be done to rebuild trust in the integrity and security of our elections. It’s up to state and local officials to come together and enact common sense measures that will increase accountability and transparency without restricting citizens’ access to the ballot box.”
The research comes as lawmakers in the U.S. Senate begin consideration of election reform bill S. 1, which among other provisions would set uniform, federal standards for voting by mail, early voting, and voter registration.
Other polling commissioned by Secure Democracy in states around the country from January to April of 2021 has found that a strong majority of conservative voters support measures that expand voting access, including more days of early voting and access to secure drop boxes. For example, in Ohio, overwhelming majorities of voters stated they were in favor of providing more than one early voting location (78 percent of voters polled, including 65 percent of Republicans) or multiple secure ballot drop-off locations (76 percent of voters polled, including 65 percent of Republicans). Secure Democracy polling from Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas also consistently show broad bipartisan support for early voting opportunities.
Commissioned by Secure Democracy, this latest survey of 1,010 likely Republican primary voters across the U.S. was administered via live callers from April 27-29, 2021, as debates over election integrity were reaching their height in many states across the country. The full analysis from Ragnar Research can be found here.
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About Secure Democracy
Secure Democracy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to improve election integrity across the United States. We educate policymakers and the public about what it takes to safeguard our voting systems. We collaborate with state leaders, election administrators, election integrity experts, and allies to ensure that all eligible citizens have the freedom to vote how they choose.