The integrity of American elections has become a contentious issue, with new polling highlighting the stark divide in concerns between Republicans and Democrats.
According to a recent POLITICO Poll, nearly six years after efforts to overturn the 2020 election, a significant portion of Americans remain skeptical about the electoral process. Over one-third believe the 2026 midterms could be “stolen,” and one in four doubts the fairness of future elections.
The two major parties are deeply divided over what constitutes the primary issues with U.S. elections, making it difficult to rebuild voter confidence.
Democrats worry about voter intimidation and suppression, with 58 percent of Kamala Harris supporters fearing that eligible voters may be prevented from casting their ballots. On the other hand, 52 percent of Trump supporters focus on potential fraud, concerned that ineligible individuals might be permitted to vote.
The POLITICO Poll explored 11 common election issues, from gerrymandering to ballot impounding, to assess whether these are seen as legitimate or as methods to rig elections. Democrats and Republicans significantly disagreed or lacked consensus on six of these issues.
For instance, expanding mail-in voting, once a routine measure for increasing voter access, is now viewed by a majority of Trump voters as a potential tool for election manipulation. Conversely, 59 percent of Harris voters regard mail-in voting as a fair aspect of the electoral system.
Deploying ICE at polling locations is another contentious issue. Most Harris voters view this as potentially influencing election outcomes, while some Republicans consider it a measure to enhance election security. A 47 percent plurality of Trump voters believe deploying ICE at polling stations is normally or always fair.
The poll underscores a challenging reality: while many Americans fear elections could be “stolen,” there is little agreement on what that entails.
“I don’t think that we have a great working definition of what constitutes … a free and fair election,” said Stephen Richer, a legal fellow at the Cato Institute. “I think it is entirely possible that even within the world that doesn’t think that elections are being hacked by Italian spy satellites, that we have a disagreement as to whether or not we’ve had a free and fair election in 2026.”
Trump frequently claims that the 2020 election results were “stolen,” attributing this to mail voting, lax voter ID requirements, and inadequate proof of citizenship laws — despite courts and election officials upholding the results. Democrats are already preparing for potential interference from Trump in future elections.
“President Trump is committed to ensuring that Americans have full confidence in the administration of elections, and that includes totally accurate and up-to-date voter rolls free of errors and unlawfully registered non-citizen voters,” stated White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson.
Despite prevailing doubts, nearly half of Americans expect the 2026 midterms to be fair. The survey, along with expert interviews, reveals how leadership rhetoric influences voter perceptions.
David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research, attributes these divides to the echo chambers within Democratic and Republican circles.
“This goes back to the problem where many of us are retreating into our media bubbles, where we hear a reality that only serves to validate our existing opinions,” he noted.
Democratic skepticism seems to rise as Trump continues to assert false claims about the 2020 election and heighten concerns about 2026.
Nearly 40 percent of Harris voters believe the 2026 midterms could be “stolen,” compared to 16 percent who felt the same about 2020 — though this comparison isn’t perfect. The doubt level among Trump voters regarding 2020 and future elections stands at about 40 percent, poll results show.
The survey identifies major areas of disagreement or distance between the parties: ICE presence at polls, mail-in voting, and citizenship proof for voter registration.
About 60 percent of Harris voters see ICE presence at polling places as a way to steal elections, compared to 33 percent of Trump voters.
The Trump administration has claimed immigration officers will not be stationed at polls, but concerns persist among Democrats. In March, nine state secretaries of state addressed a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin seeking assurance that immigration agents would not be present at polls in November.
“If you have ICE outside of a handful of voting locations, I think that there are some on the left of the pro-democracy coalition, or the previously existing pro-democracy coalition, who would say that it invalidates the fairness of an election,” Richer remarked. “And then there are those of us who would say … it’s not ideal, and there are legal remedies, but that doesn’t mean that the election was stolen or should be thrown out.”
The 2020 election was a turning point in the debate over mail-in voting, with Trump criticizing the practice during the COVID-19 pandemic — claims he continues to push.
Approximately 55 percent of Harris voters believe banning mail-in voting could lead to a rigged election, while Trump voters are divided: 41 percent see banning it as fair, while 42 percent view it as a way to steal an election.
The question of voter registration, particularly the requirement of citizenship proof — a key element of Trump’s SAVE America Act — also reveals division. Nearly two-thirds of Trump voters see this as a fair process, while only 44 percent of Harris voters agree.
Voter roll maintenance, a standard election administration practice intensified by Trump’s Justice Department to remove non-citizens, also shows a partisan divide. Around 60 percent of Harris voters view voter roll purging as a method to steal elections, compared to 46 percent of Trump voters.
Some areas show agreement between the parties. Both groups largely support same-day voter registration and registering new voters outside churches as fair practices.
Majorities from both sides agree that gerrymandering can be used to manipulate election outcomes, as both parties engage in redistricting strategies. There is also near-majority agreement that seizing or impounding ballots could rig results. Recently, the FBI seized 2020 election ballots in Fulton County, Georgia, and a judge allowed the Justice Department to retain the records.
Experts assert that the partisan divide impacts voter confidence.
“We’ve now had multiple years in a row of state legislators passing and introducing and passing laws that are targeting voter access — making it harder to participate in the electoral process — where the actual mechanics of elections have been politicized, and that too takes its toll,” said Wendy Weiser, vice president for democracy at the Brennan Center for Justice.
