Election Concerns Run High Ahead of 2026 Midterms
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Election Concerns Run High Ahead of 2026 Midterms
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of the 2026 midterms, Americans are concerned about election integrity and democratic processes. Their top concerns include political leaders pressuring election officials to change election outcomes (67% are concerned “a great deal” or “a fair amount”), ballots not being properly handled, counted or secured (57%), and voter intimidation near polling places (52%).
Even issues that rank lower on the list remain concerns for substantial shares of Americans, including 40% saying they are concerned about being personally confronted, followed or recorded while voting.
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These findings, part of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation and Gallup Democracy for All Project, are based on a web and mail survey conducted April 24-June 10, 2026, with more than 23,000 U.S. adults.
Americans' concerns about the integrity of this year’s congressional and state elections are not limited to a single issue. Nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) report at least a fair amount of concern about multiple aspects of the election process.
Americans express similar levels of concern across party lines about several aspects of the election process, including whether their ballot will be counted, whether they have enough information to make well-informed decisions about candidates and issues, and whether they may be confronted, followed or recorded while voting.
However, Democrats are significantly more likely than Republicans to express concern about political leaders pressuring election officials to change election outcomes (77% vs. 56%, respectively) and about voter intimidation near polling places (60% vs. 46%).
Republicans, in contrast, are more likely than Democrats and independents to express concern about ballots being improperly handled, counted or secured. About two-thirds of Republicans (66%) report at least a fair amount of concern about this issue, compared with 52% of Democrats and 54% of independents.
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Americans who spend more time on social media consistently report higher levels of concern about election-related issues than those who spend less time on these platforms or do not use them at all.
For example, concern about voter intimidation near polling places rises from 48% among those who do not use social media to 60% among heavy users who spend three or more hours per day on these platforms. Similarly, concern about ballots being improperly handled, counted or secured increases from 48% among non-users to 65% among heavy users.
Concerns Extend Beyond Election Dynamics
Beyond Election Day matters, Americans also express broad concern about several aspects of how the political system, more broadly, is functioning.
The public's top concerns center on political integrity, including political leaders taking actions they know may be illegal (80% express a great deal or fair amount of concern), wealthy people or organizations making large, anonymous donations to political causes (78%), and gerrymandering, or changing voting district boundaries to favor a political party or candidate (77%).
Majorities are also concerned about peaceful protestors being harmed by federal agents or law enforcement, ineligible people casting ballots in U.S. elections, and expanding government involvement in healthcare, housing and manufacturing.
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Black adults (76%) are the most likely to express concern about people being harmed by federal agents, the military or law enforcement during peaceful protests, followed by Asian (73%) and Hispanic adults (70%). White adults are less likely to be concerned, though a majority (60%) still report at least a fair amount of concern.
Partisan differences are pronounced on several of these democracy-related issues. The widest gap is seen in concern about ineligible voting, expressed by 78% of Republicans, compared with 48% of independents and 36% of Democrats. Concern about people being harmed during peaceful protests also varies sharply by party, ranging from 85% among Democrats to 66% among independents and 38% among Republicans.
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Americans who pay closer attention to government and political affairs tend to express greater concern about a range of democracy-related issues. For example, 83% of those who pay “a moderate amount” or “a great deal” of attention to politics are concerned about gerrymandering, compared with 67% of those who pay less attention to political matters. Similar gaps are evident for concerns about large, anonymous political donations (83% vs. 69%) and political leaders taking actions they know may be illegal (85% vs. 72%).
Social media use is also...