In 2022, Townhall reported that more than eight in 10 registered voters in a poll conducted by USA Today and Suffolk University said that they were “very” or “somewhat” worried about the future of America’’s democracy. Fifteen percent of voters said they were “not very worried” or “not at all” worried about the future of America’s democracy.
Now, with a presidential election impending, voters were asked about this again.
In an Associated Press-NORC poll published Thursday, about three-quarters of respondents said that they believe the upcoming presidential election will be “extremely or very important” for the “future of democracy” in the United States.
Predictably, 55 percent of Democrats said that the election is extremely important for this reason, compared to 36 percent of Republicans and 39 percent of Independent voters.
When it comes to the current strength of democracy, 6 in 10 adults in the poll think democracy could be at risk depending on who wins the election. Two in 10 respondents said that “is strong enough to withstand no matter who wins the election” (via AP-NORC):
Independents are most likely to believe that democracy is already seriously broken regardless of the election outcome. This view is held by 37% of independents, compared with only 17% of Republicans and 12% of Democrats. Democrats and Republicans are more likely to think that U.S democracy is at risk depending on the election outcome.
Seven in 10 adults in the poll said that the outcome will be important in determining the future of democracy, the economy, and immigration. Republicans are more concerned about immigration and the economy.
This week, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that her running mate would be Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. This came after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
In an interview this week, former President Donald Trump warned that Harris and Walz would make the country “communist immediately” if they are elected.
“I can’t believe it. I never thought this was going to be the one that was picked,” Trump said of Walz. For weeks, rumors swirled that Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro would be Harris’ running mate.
“If you look at his record with no walls, no security, let everybody in…He’s a smarter version of [Harris]. He’s probably the same as Bernie Sanders…There’s never been a ticket like this. This is a ticket that would want this country to go communist immediately if not sooner,” Trump claimed.
