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Most Voters Agree With Trump on Need for State Election Reform

Joe Biden may have won the White House, but in the political battle over election integrity, former President Donald Trump seems to be winning.

A new national telephone and online survey by Rasmussen Reports finds that 61% of Likely U.S. Voters agree with a statement Trump issued last week on his website: “Election Reform must happen in Swing States like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Arizona where voters have lost confidence in their electoral process.” That includes 42% who Strongly Agree. Thirty-four percent (34%) of voters disagree with Trump’s statement, including 25% who Strongly Disagree. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The percentage of voters agreeing with Trump’s statement was larger than those agreeing with a quote from a recent speech by Biden, who said America is “facing the most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War.” Fifty-six percent (56%) agree with Biden, including 33% who Strongly Agree. Thirty-seven percent (37%) disagree with Biden, including 26% who strongly disagree.

The war of words between the president and ex-president comes as several states, including Georgia, have passed new voting laws addressing issues raised in the wake of last year’s election. In April, 51% of voters said it was likely that cheating affected the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. That April survey found most voters (60%) believe it is more important to make sure there is no cheating in elections than to make it easier for everybody to vote.

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The survey of 1,000 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on July 15 and 18, 2021 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Responses to the two recent statements by Biden and Trump seem to indicate greater voter intensity on the GOP side. The number of Republicans agreeing strongly with Trump’s statement is greater than the number of Democrats who strongly agree with Biden, and Trump gets more agreement from voters not affiliated with either major party.

Eighty-two percent (82%) of Democrats agree with Biden that America is “facing the most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War,” including 52% who Strongly Agree. On the other side, 84% of Republicans agree with Trump that swing states must enact election reform, including 62% who Strongly Agree.

Among unaffiliated voters, 41% agree with Biden that America is “facing the most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War,” including 23% who Strongly Agree. But 63% of unaffiliated voters agree with Trump about election reform, including 47% who Strongly Agree.

Black voters are significantly more likely to agree with Biden, and to disagree with Trump, than whites or other minorities.

Women voters are somewhat more likely than men to agree with Biden’s statement, while men are slightly more likely to agree with Trump’s statement.

Voters under 40 are most likely to agree with Biden that America is “facing the most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War,” while agreement with Trump about the need for state election reform is highest among voters ages 40-64.

The advantage to Trump in the current war of words with Biden over election integrity is apparent in the fact that, among likely voters who Strongly Agree with Biden’s statement, 28% also Strongly Agree with Trump’s statement, while among voters who Strongly Agree with Trump, only 22% also Strongly Agree with Biden.

Democratic lawmakers in Texas fled the state last week to prevent the GOP-controlled legislature from passing an election integrity bill, and most Democrats support the fugitive legislators.

Arizona’s audit of 2020 election results has been widely criticized, but a majority of voters nationwide approve of the election integrity effort.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

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The survey of 1,000 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on July 15 and 18, 2021 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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