As US Election Looms, 3 of 4 Voters Fear Political Violence

Not unjustified, given Republican efforts to recruit "volunteers" to check out voters, even in Rhode Island

Jessica Corbett for Common Dreams

Polling released less than a month away from the November 5 election, shows that nearly three-quarters of U.S. voters are worried about political violence and believe it is likely because some people will not accept the results.

The latest Civil Rights Monitor Poll, commissioned by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, is based on responses from 1,000 likely voters across the country, who were surveyed September 3-8.

Pollsters found that "81% of voters believe that democracy is under threat, and 73% are worried about political violence after the elections in November," the conference said. "Liberals are much more worried (92%) about political violence than moderates and conservatives (68% and 63%, respectively)."

"We are... elevating Project 2025 as a blueprint to undermine the very values we see supported in three years of polling."

This year's presidential contest is between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and former Republican President Donald Trump, who during the 2020 cycle repeatedly lied about his loss and even incited some supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol during the certification of the results on January 6, 2021.

Although Trump has tried to disavow the Heritage Foundation-led Project 2025, previous polling has shown a majority of Americans believe the ex-president is aligned with its policy blueprint, which was crafted by at least 140 people who worked in the first Trump administration, including six former Cabinet secretaries.

"Project 2025 has become widely known (70% can identify it), and voters are broadly cold towards it (54% rate it 0-49 on a thermometer scale of 0-100)," according to the new poll. "Cuts to overtime pay (91%), cuts to Social Security (86%), and government monitoring of pregnancies (85%) are the components of the Project 2025 agenda that voters oppose the most."

The conference said that "among the most important issues for voters in the elections this year are inflation and the economy (42%, which is up eight points from the previous year), immigration and border security (33%), and protecting our democracy and freedoms (22%)."

Similar to last year, large majorities of respondents agreed that Americans are sacrificing too much of their privacy for Big Tech (86%); diversity makes the country stronger (79%); marriage equality should be protected (77%); the government must do more to protect the civil and human rights of communities of color (69%); abortion access should be a legally protected right (64%); and sexism is a big problem in today's society (63%).

Smaller majorities said that the government should do more to lessen racial inequality in society (59%); artificial intelligence is a threat to jobs (57%); immigrants contribute more to America than they take (57%); America is on the path to another Civil War (55%); and the respondent's heritage, traditions, and cultural identity is under attack (52%).

Additionally, the conference said, "white supremacy is an issue that most voters are worried about, with more than half of respondents (52%) stating they are more worried, including 65% of Black and 64% of Hispanic voters."

The poll also shows that "an astounding 93% of voters are extremely motivated to vote this November, up seven points from last year (86%)."

Maya Wiley, the conference's president and CEO, said in a Monday statement that "voters know what's at stake in this election."

"It's clear that in this presidential year voters want to vote even while they worry about political violence and know democracy is on the ballot," she continued. "This most recent poll shows that voters want to vote more than ever despite, or perhaps because, our democracy is threatened with the dark cloud of election denial and violence. In 2024, voters must know that they will decide the outcome of the election—not a political party, extremist groups, or purveyors of disinformation."

"The civil rights community is organized and actively working on voter education, get-out–the-vote efforts, election protection, and combating disinformation, and we are also elevating Project 2025 as a blueprint to undermine the very values we see supported in three years of polling," she added. "We will continue to combat racism, xenophobia, and efforts to divide us along race and immigration lines. Democracy requires passionate persistence, and our Civil Rights Monitor Poll reassures us that the majority of Americans agree."