Nearly half of Republicans have indicated they will not accept the results of the presidential election if Donald Trump loses, with 15% of them stating they would be willing to “take action” to overturn the results, according to a recent survey released Tuesday.
In contrast, about 25% of Democrats said they would reject the outcome if their candidate lost, and only 1% of Democrats expressed a willingness to “take action” to challenge the results.The data, collected by the nonpartisan World Justice Project, is part of a broader study on the rule of law. The survey, first reported by USA Today, was conducted through online interviews with 1,046 American households between June 10 and June 18.The survey did not specify what kind of actions might be taken to dispute the election results but highlighted that 46% of Republicans and 27% of Democrats would not accept the results. Furthermore, 14% of Republicans compared to just 1% of Democrats indicated they would consider “taking action” to overturn the results.
Elizabeth Andersen, the executive director of the World Justice Project, noted that the findings are “kind of startling,” pointing out that roughly one-third of Americans appear unwilling to accept the election results if their candidate loses.The survey also revealed significant differences in perceptions of electoral integrity. Only 29% of Republicans believe the electoral process is free from corruption, compared to 56% of Democrats. There was also a notable gap in agreement on whether votes are counted accurately, with only 43% of Republicans and 84% of Democrats in agreement.Additionally, Democrats were less likely than Republicans to feel that voting is convenient and that voting access is equitable for all citizens.“You can see quite low levels of trust in the process, particularly among Republicans, but also, in some areas, among Democrats,” Andersen remarked. “This situation could potentially lead to conflict following the election.”
Recent studies have also shown growing concerns about political violence and threats against election officials. A Public Religion Research Institute survey last week found that 1 in 6 Americans supports political violence, including about 25% of Republicans.The Brennan Center for Justice reported in May that 36% of local election officials had experienced harassment or abuse, with 16% receiving threats. Most election officials surveyed noted an increase in threats since 2020.
