Most Americans Don’t Trust the Election Process Anymore

A recent survey reveals some alarming attitudes among Americans regarding the 2020 election: According to a recent Yahoo News/YouGov survey, the majority of Americans believe the election will not be fair.

The survey noted:

“Half of Trump supporters (50 percent) say the election will not be free and fair; more than a third of Biden supporters (37 percent) agree. Overall, the number of Americans who say the election will not be free and fair (46 percent) is more than twice the number who say the opposite. Another third (32 percent) say they’re not sure what to expect.”

Even worse, a majority of Americans believe that the presidential election could be rigged. Americans seem to have lost faith in the electoral process, at least during this season. But are their fears about fairness warranted?

Will the Election Be Rigged?

While the average American seems to doubt the integrity of the election process, the experts don’t. Michael Adams, a law adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, expressed doubts about the possibility of a rigged election. “You’re not going to see widespread fraud in a presidential or a Senate or a governor’s race,” he argued. “It’s just not feasible. And it hasn’t been [feasible] in 70 or 80 years.” Other experts agree.

But despite widespread agreement among the experts, the public remains doubtful. While there could be several factors that contribute to this skepticism, most of the blame probably belongs to the media and candidates themselves. Politicians on both sides have accused their opponents of cheating, and the media keeps spreading it.

What About Future Elections?

If and when the 2020 election is contested, it will start yet another political argument. The losing side’s allegations of cheating will have to be examined; even if they are proven false, those on the losing side will still cry foul.

This cycle could quickly become the starting point of a trend when it comes to future elections. Will every presidential race become a vicious debate over the results? What if this spreads to congressional races? If this happens, the nation could be in for a political crisis during each election season.