In the United States, distrust in the electoral process has grown in recent years, especially following the 2020 presidential election. Given their unique role in the electoral process, CivicPulse tracked local government leaders’ perspective on this issue in the leadup to and aftermath of the 2024 election, in partnership with Professor Josh Clinton at Vanderbilt University.
To do so, we fielded both a pre-election and post-election survey of local election officials and local elected policymakers (associated with county, municipal, and township governments as well as school boards). Preceding the election, we asked how likely it was that the vote count would be accurate, both in their own state and in the nation as a whole. Following the election, we asked the same questions retrospectively.
Prior to the election, confidence in their own states’ electoral processes was high, with 93% of local officials saying an accurate vote count in their state was somewhat, very, or extremely likely. However, when it came to confidence in vote count accuracy in the United States as a whole, only 82% of respondents indicated trust in the vote counting process.
Most of this distrust came from local officials associated with the Republican Party, with 82% of those who said that it was not very or not at all likely that the votes would be counted accurately identifying as Republicans or as independents who lean Republican.
However, such doubts about the electoral process all but disappeared following the election, with 95% of local officials reporting confidence in the nation’s electoral process, converging with trust in their own state’s process (97%).
Some of the local officials who participated in both surveys and whose opinions changed did share their thoughts both before and after the election. For example, one Republican election commissioner for a small county in Idaho had originally written, “illegals are being allowed to vote in some areas. That makes the count inaccurate.” But then, after the election, they simply said they had “no concerns about election integrity.”
Survey background
This research brief uses data from a nationally representative survey of local elected policymakers, election officials, and school board officials in U.S. townships, municipalities, and county governments serving communities of 1,000 or more. Elected policymakers include top elected officials (e.g., Mayor, County Executive) and governing board members (e.g., Council Member, County Legislator). The pre-election survey was fielded from October 3 to November 4, 2024 and resulted in 903 respondents answering the selected questions. The post-election survey was fielded from December 11, 2024 to January 2, 2025 and resulted in 809 respondents answering the selected questions.
Survey text
Pre-election questions:
Thinking about your state, how likely do you think it is that the votes will be counted accurately? Response options: Extremely likely, Very likely, Somewhat likely, Not very likely, Not at all likely
Thinking about the United States as a whole, how likely do you think it is that the votes will be counted accurately? Response options: Extremely likely, Very likely, Somewhat likely, Not very likely, Not at all likely
In your own words, what, if any, are your biggest concerns about how votes are cast and counted in the United States?
Post-election questions:
Thinking about your state, how likely do you think it is that the votes were counted accurately? Response options: Extremely likely, Very likely, Somewhat likely, Not very likely, Not at all likely
Thinking about the United States as a whole, how likely do you think it is that the votes were counted accurately? Response options: Extremely likely, Very likely, Somewhat likely, Not very likely, Not at all likely
If you did suspect the integrity of an election was compromised, what actions, if any, would you take?
Press Contact
Victoria Starbuck
Senior Research and Communications Associate
Additional Resources
For access to the underlying data for this brief, email us at info@civicpulse.org.