Americans sour on the primary election process and major political parties, an AP-NORC poll says

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According to a recent poll conducted by The Big Big News-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, there is growing disillusionment among Americans regarding the primary election process and the major political parties. As the GOP primary season is on the horizon, a significant number of Republicans express concerns about the accuracy of vote counting in their presidential primary. This skepticism extends to their outlook on the future of both the Democratic and Republican parties.

The poll reveals that approximately one-third of Republicans have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of confidence that votes in the upcoming Republican primary elections will be counted correctly. About three in 10 Republicans report having a “moderate” level of confidence, while 32% have “only a little” or “none at all” confidence in the accuracy of the vote count. In contrast, 72% of Democrats exhibit high confidence in their party’s ability to accurately count votes in primary contests. Democrats also show a slightly higher level of confidence in the Republican Party’s vote counting accuracy compared to Republicans.

This lack of trust in vote accuracy among Republicans extends to the broader context of the 2024 presidential election. Only one-quarter of Republicans express “quite a bit” of confidence in the accuracy of vote counting for the upcoming presidential election, a significantly lower figure compared to Democrats. Among the general U.S. population, slightly less than half (46%) believe that the votes in the 2024 presidential election will be counted accurately.

This skepticism among Republicans can be attributed to former President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of election fraud following his 2020 loss. These claims were widely debunked by federal and state election officials and rejected by the courts.

The poll also highlights a widespread lack of trust in both major political parties among U.S. adults overall. Approximately one-quarter of respondents express “only a little” confidence or “none at all” in the fairness of the presidential nominee selection process within both the Democratic and Republican parties. Independents exhibit the highest level of skepticism, with about half of them lacking confidence in both parties’ processes.

Furthermore, about half of U.S. adults hold pessimistic views about the future of both the Republican and Democratic parties. This sentiment is shared by one-third of Republicans, 45% of Independents, and about one-quarter of Democrats.

Some respondents, like Julie Duggan of Chicago, express a general lack of trust in the political system, stating, “Nothing will be fair because the last election was rigged.”

Despite these concerns, many Americans believe that the primary elections themselves will be conducted fairly, as they view them as a fairer process compared to the Electoral College. However, doubts persist about whether the candidates nominated through these processes truly represent the views of the parties or the American populace.

In conclusion, the AP-NORC poll underscores the growing disillusionment and lack of confidence in the primary election process and major political parties among Americans, particularly among Republicans who have concerns about vote counting accuracy. These findings reflect a broader sentiment of skepticism and pessimism about the state of American politics.

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• AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research
• Former President Donald Trump’s Claims of Election Fraud
• The Electoral College in U.S. Elections