Gallup: Americans fear potential election fraud ahead of midterms

According to a new survey, a majority of American voters are concerned about election integrity and the possibility that fraud or coercion could impact November’s midterms. A Gallup poll conducted late last month reported that nearly three quarters (73%) of voters have concerns over election security and the election process.

Majorities of Americans shared their concerns about politicians pressuring or bullying election officials (67%), ballots not being handled or counted properly (57%), and voters being intimidated or threatened outside polling places (52%), while strong pluralities of voters also expressed worries that ballots may not be counted (50%), not having access to information to make an informed decision about candidates or issues (48%), or being personally confronted, recorded, or followed while trying to vote (40%).

Registered Democrats were more likely (77%) to report concerns over election officials facing pressure from elected officials than were either Republicans (56%) or independent voters (66%), but less likely (52%) to harbor concerns over ballots being improperly handled or improperly counted than Republicans (66%) or independent voters (54%). Additionally, Republican voters were more likely (52%) than either Democrats (47%) or independent voters (48%) to worry that their ballots would not be counted at all.

The election process itself is not the only source of concern for voters: Many also worry that political maneuvers may unfairly influence the outcome of elections. For example, 80% of surveyed voters said that they worry about politicians possibly violating the law in order to take or maintain an elected office, while nearly as many (78%) expressed concern over wealthy donors or organizations making anonymous donations to political candidates and their campaigns.

Another 77% also said that they worry that partisan gerrymandering may unfairly impact the outcome of elections and just over half (53%) confirmed that they worry about noncitizens voting in American elections.

Democrats were more likely than both Republicans and independent voters to worry about politicians acting illegally, anonymous mega-donations, and partisan gerrymandering, while Republicans were significantly more likely than both Democrats and independent voters to worry about noncitizens voting.

Gallup reported that election integrity concerns are significantly more commonly reported among social media users than those who do not use social media. Gallup Senior Editor Jeffrey Jones observed, “These concerns extend beyond the electoral process itself. Many Americans also express worry about broader issues related to democratic governance, including political accountability, fairness and the integrity of public institutions.”

“Public perceptions of these risks could have important implications for the 2026 midterms, possibly deterring participation for some voters but giving others greater motivation to vote,” he continued. “They could also affect confidence in election administration and whether people accept election outcomes.”

>> USPS chief plans to withhold ballot delivery from states that defy Trump election order <<

President Donald Trump has recently taken steps to ensure that only U.S. citizens are permitted to vote in federal elections. Notably, the U.S. Supreme Court this week allowed the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to finalize a rule requiring states to coordinate their voter rolls with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) citizenship lists in order to receive official USPS mail-in ballots.

Concerns over noncitizens voting are not misplaced. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, confirmed last month that nearly 7,000 noncitizens were registered to vote in the Garden State, and organizations like the Heritage Foundation have documented numerous instances of noncitizens voting, including illegal aliens.