Many U.S. voters have recently expressed concern over political violence and possible attempts to overturn the upcoming 2024 presidential election, a new poll found.
The poll, conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found that about 40 percent of voters in the U.S. have expressed concern about potential violent attempts to overthrow the election results in November.
A comparable portion of voters also express concern over legal challenges to election outcomes, with roughly one-third saying they are “extremely” or “very” worried about efforts by local or state officials to block the certification of results.
Roughly 30 percent or less say they are “not very” or “not at all” concerned about any political violence or attempts to overturn the election in November.
Concerns About Trump
The poll also found that some voters have expressed doubts about former President Donald Trump accepting the results if he loses the election. Only about one-third of voters expect Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, to accept the outcome and concede if he is defeated.
Nearly 90 percent of voters believe the losing candidate in a presidential election should concede once all votes are counted and legal disputes resolved, including around 80 percent of Republicans.
Trump has persisted in spreading debunked claims that fraud cost him the 2020 election and is once again asserting that the only way he could lose in 2024 is if the election is rigged against him—a tactic he has employed since his initial presidential campaign.
Meanwhile, his allies and a Republican National Committee reshaped under his influence have filed lawsuits nationwide, laying the groundwork for potential post-election legal battles if he is defeated.
A voter casts their ballot at a polling station in the Bloomberg building at Hudson Yards during the first day of early in New York on October 26, 2024. A poll released on Monday found voters in the U.S. expressing concerns over the possibility of political violence and attempts to overturn the results.
KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images
Harris Concerns
Concern about not accepting the election results does not extend to Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee. Nearly 80 percent of voters, including a majority of Republicans, believe she will accept the results and concede if she loses the election.
January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol
Voters remain divided over their perceptions of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and who bears responsibility. Democrats and independents are significantly more likely than Republicans to assign “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of blame to Trump.
Chicago independent voter, Susan Ohde, expressed concern in comments made to The Associated Press. She said that “crazy people will buy the misinformation that they’re given,” potentially triggering another attack like the one on January 6.
A majority of Republicans who participated in the poll said they believe President Joe Biden‘s presidency is illegitimate, while nearly all Democrats and around 70 percent of independents affirm that Biden was legitimately elected.
The poll of 1,072 adults was conducted October 11-14, 2024. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
