NPR/PBS News/Marist survey finds two-thirds of Americans still confident in election administration, but partisan divides over voter fraud and voter suppression are widening.
WASHINGTON | Confidence in the fairness and accuracy of U.S. elections remains relatively strong but is showing signs of erosion as the nation approaches the 2026 midterm elections, according to a new national survey released Wednesday.
The NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll found that about two-thirds of Americans say they are confident or very confident that state and local governments will administer the upcoming elections fairly. However, the share of Americans expressing little or no confidence has climbed to 34%, up from 24% last year, signaling a growing undercurrent of distrust in the nation’s electoral system.
The findings underscore a widening political divide over what Americans view as the greatest threat to election integrity.
Partisan Divide Over Election Risks
Democrats and Republicans remain sharply split on the central risks facing U.S. elections.
According to the poll, Democrats are most concerned about voter suppression, including potential restrictions on access to polling locations or voting procedures. Republicans, by contrast, overwhelmingly cite voter fraud as the primary threat to election legitimacy.
The debate has intensified as the Trump administration pursues new federal initiatives related to election oversight.
The Department of Justice has filed lawsuits against more than two dozen states, seeking access to voter rolls as part of broader election integrity investigations. Meanwhile, federal authorities have taken unusual steps to obtain records tied to past election audits.
Earlier this year, the FBI seized voting records from an elections office in Georgia, and federal subpoenas were issued in connection with a review of election procedures in Arizona’s largest county.
Federal Role in Elections Raises Questions
Election administration in the United States is traditionally managed by state and local governments, a system rooted in the Constitution’s delegation of election authority to the states.
However, President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested greater federal involvement in election administration, including the idea of “nationalizing” certain aspects of the process ahead of the midterms.
Those comments have triggered concerns among Democratic leaders and voting-rights advocates.
The Democratic National Committee filed a federal lawsuit this week, seeking clarity on whether the administration plans to deploy federal agents or military personnel to polling locations.
Trump allies have publicly floated the idea of using the National Guard or federal law enforcement at voting sites, a proposal that has divided public opinion along partisan lines.
Polling Place Security Debate
The Marist survey found nearly three-quarters of Republican respondents support the presence of the National Guard at polling places, arguing it could enhance election security.
Democrats largely oppose such measures, expressing concerns that armed personnel at voting sites could intimidate voters and undermine access to the ballot.
Officials at the Department of Homeland Security have told state election authorities that federal immigration agents will not be stationed at polling locations, though the administration has not definitively ruled out other forms of federal presence.
Despite rising concerns, the poll indicates that most Americans still maintain confidence in election administration, reflecting the resilience of local election systems that oversee voting in the United States.
Election experts say maintaining transparency and trust will be critical as the country moves closer to November.
The Marist survey was conducted March 2–4 among 1,591 adults nationwide, with a margin of error of ±2.8 percentage points.
With political polarization intensifying and election administration becoming a central campaign issue, the data suggests that public trust in democratic institutions could play a defining role in the 2026 midterms.
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-- By Masakela P. Rawls
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