Policy Briefs

We find that while Americans remain deeply divided about the legitimacy of the 2020 election, they support a range of proposals to ensure elections are conducted in a fair, secure and speedy manner. In addition, voters remain opposed to violent and dangerous protest tactics. Our findings should be a call to lawmakers to advance a bipartisan election security and legitimacy agenda.

In the 19th century and continuing well into the 20th, the United States saw a proliferation of political parties, many operating within a single state or region, and often achieving a substantial degree of electoral success. The most successful of these coalesced to form what is now the Republican Party.

Across the country, there is a growing sense of frustration as election night drags on into election week, and beyond. In too many states, the simple task of counting votes is proceeding at a glacial pace. Some states have near-instant results within hours. Others take weeks, fueling distrust, conspiracy theories, and recriminations. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Regardless of other variations in state election procedures, every state can adopt best practices to ensure a reasonably quick, accurate, and confidence-inspiring vote count. We know it can be done, because many states already do it.

Across the United States, there is growing interest in structural reform to make our electoral system more responsive and less polarizing. But like so many other issues, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Recently, discussions about election issues have focused on topics such as electoral fairness, security, and accountability of elected officials. However, a crucial aspect that is often overlooked is the physical safety of candidates, elected officials, and the campaign workers who support them.