Story Highlights 59% of Americans say they are not confident in the honesty of U.S. elections

Confidence measurably worse only in Chile and Mexico

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Although their faith has been shaken for some time, Americans are heading into their next presidential election with relatively little confidence in the honesty of the process. Four in 10 Americans (40%) interviewed in 2019 said they are confident in the honesty of elections in the country, while the majority (59%) said they are not.

Americans' current level of confidence in their elections is far from the lowest it has been at times in the past decade, but it is notably one of the worst ratings across the world's wealthiest democracies. Ratings were statistically lower last year only in Chile (31%) and Mexico (30%).

Confidence in the Honesty of Elections in OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Countries, in 2019 In this country, do you have confidence in each of the following, or not? How about honesty of elections? Yes No % % Finland 89 9 Norway 89 9 Sweden 87 11 Luxembourg 82 14 New Zealand 81 17 Switzerland 81 12 Netherlands 77 22 Ireland 76 20 Germany 74 21 Austria 72 26 Poland 71 17 Canada 66 33 Slovenia 66 33 Australia 62 35 United Kingdom 61 33 Greece 59 33 France 57 41 Japan 57 35 Spain 56 38 Slovakia 54 35 Italy 53 44 Portugal 53 44 Estonia 52 31 South Korea 49 48 Belgium 46 48 Hungary 45 42 United States of America 40 59 Lithuania 40 44 Turkey 39 52 Latvia 37 46 Chile 31 65 Mexico 30 68 Gallup World Poll 2019

The latest data for the U.S. come from the Gallup World Poll of Americans conducted in April and May 2019. At that time, eight U.S. intelligence agencies had confirmed allegations of foreign interference in the 2016 presidential election and identified attempts to engage in similar activities during the 2018 midterms. Additionally, cybersecurity experts had raised some substantial questions concerning the potential digital security vulnerabilities of computerized voting systems.

However, Americans' doubts about their elections are not new. Majorities of Americans have consistently lacked confidence in the honesty of elections every year since 2012. Americans' lack of confidence peaked at 69% in 2016, in the midst of the presidential campaign that year.

Gallup World Poll surveying in 2016 was conducted in the midst of allegations that the process to select the Democratic Party presidential nomination had been interfered with to the detriment of then-candidate Bernie Sanders. The survey also took place after then-candidate Donald Trump alleged that the Iowa Caucus had been "stolen" from him, but prior to his claims the overall presidential election was dishonest.

Who Is Least Confident?

Gallup's World Poll does not ask about political affiliation, but Americans' lack of confidence is most pronounced among those who disapprove of the country's leadership, with 74% of this group reporting no confidence in the honesty of elections. Trust is also low among Americans aged 30 to 49, with 68% lacking confidence. Rounding out the three groups with the lowest levels of confidence in the honesty of elections are U.S. women, among whom 65% say they lack confidence.

U.S. Confidence in the Honesty of Elections in 2019, by Key Subgroups In this country, do you have confidence in each of the following, or not? How about honesty of elections? Yes No % % All Americans 40 59 Gender Male 46 54 Female 35 65 Age 15-29 42 58 30-49 31 68 50+ 45 54 U.S. Leadership Approval Approve 63 36 Disapprove 26 74 Urban or Rural Urban 39 61 Rural 43 57 Gallup World Poll, Apr 23-May 23 2019

While rural Americans are often described by political analysts as forgotten or disaffected, there is little difference in confidence in the honesty of elections between this group and those that live in urban areas.

Bottom Line

Whether related to issues of foreign interference, security vulnerability, interference in the nomination process by the political elites, or just general frustration with an election outcome, the majority of Americans do not have confidence in their elections. The recent Iowa Caucuses are an example of the types of events that can shake Americans' faith in the election process and the legitimacy of the winners of elections. Institutions and fair processes are important in holding society together, and particularly so in this era of intense partisanship in the U.S.

For complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details.

Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works.