Election System & Voting Process

Most U.S. adults say President Joe Biden (65%) and Republican leaders in Congress (61%) will be unsuccessful getting their agendas enacted in the next two years; only about a third say the president and GOP leaders will be successful. Republicans are less confident than Democrats in midterm vote counts – but more confident than they were after the 2020 election.

There has been a sharp decline in the share of Republican voters who are “very confident” that votes cast at polling places will be counted accurately.

Only a small share of Americans have heard a lot about redistricting in their state and a majority are not sure how they feel.  

Americans remain deeply divided about the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and the ongoing congressional investigation into what happened.

The complexity of the overall system, varying rules on how and when you can vote, and whether the candidate you support wins or loses all impact trust in the election process.

Pew Research Center’s political typology sorts Americans into cohesive, like-minded groups based on their values, beliefs, and views about politics and the political system. Use this tool to compare the groups on some key topics and their demographics.

57% of Americans view voting as “a fundamental right for every adult U.S. citizen and should not be restricted in any way.”

We identified 261 U.S. jurisdictions that have adopted some voting method other than the winner-take-all system most American voters know.

Around two-thirds of adults in Germany, France and the UK say it is important for their national government to make voting compulsory.

Among Republicans, support has declined for allowing early or absentee voting without an excuse and for automatically registering all eligible citizens to vote.