As Americans gear up for a high-stakes election, GlobeScan’s research finds an important shift: more Americans believe that elections in their country are free and fair than they did five years ago. In 2024, 47 percent of Americans hold this view, up from just 34 percent in 2019. However, this increased confidence still leaves fewer than half saying they trust the system.
GlobeScan’s latest Radar research also highlights generational and political divides. Baby Boomers+ (54%) and Millennials (51%) express the most faith in the election process compared to only 40 percent of Gen X and 41 percent of Gen Z. Along political lines, Democrats mostly believe in the system’s integrity (67%) while only 33 percent of Republicans and 37 percent of Independents feel the same.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Despite increased confidence, this year’s elections are expected to be contentious, with fewer than half of Americans believing in the election’s integrity. The rise in confidence over the past five years suggests Americans have become more convinced of the fairness of the process after Biden’s 2020 win, despite claims of voter fraud and the storming of the Capitol. The question remains: will this confidence endure, or will it crumble under the pressure of another close election next week?
Based on a largely representative online survey of over 30,000 people across 31 countries and territories (USA: 2024 n=765, 2019 n=1,100), Radar draws upon GlobeScan’s unique database of over two decades of polling public opinion about people’s outlook toward societal actors and the issues affecting them.
Survey Question: Do you feel that elections in this country are free and fair?
Source: GlobeScan Radar Trends Report (survey of 30,216 people in the general public in July ‒ August 2024)
