As President Trump continues his efforts to pass the SAVE Act, which focuses on creating more restrictive voter identification requirements, U.S. adults are expressing fears about other threats to the November 2026 elections. Chief among them are political strong-arm tactics, with 67% of participants in a new Gallup poll expressing concern that political leaders will pressure election officials to change election outcomes. This concern was expressed by 56% of Republican respondents and 77% of Democratic respondents.
Other concerns shared by at least half of all respondents include ballots not being properly handled, counted or secured (57%); people gathering near polling places to intimidate voters (52%); and participants’ personal ballots not being counted (50%).
Gallup’s survey, administered in partnership with the Kettering Foundation, also measured participants’ thoughts on other threats to democracy beyond what may happen at the ballot box.
Four-fifths (80%) of all respondents are concerned about political leaders taking actions they know are possibly illegal. On this concern, there is strong bipartisan agreement, with 73% of Republicans and 86% of Democrats expressing concern.
Other issues that concern large majorities of respondents include wealthy individuals or organizations making large, anonymous donations to political causes (78%) and gerrymandering to give a particular party or candidate an edge in winning elections (77%).
The Gallup-Kettering survey was part of a report from the “Democracy for All” project. According to its website, the project “seeks to identify solutions to strengthen democratic engagement and bridge divides” by “amplifying voices from all backgrounds and examining perceptions of inclusion, fairness, and opportunity.”
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