We’re in the home stretch now, folks, and everyone’s wondering who the next President of the United States will be. However, it seems that the American people have something else on their minds: What happens after the outcome is decided?
A up-to-date one Scripps/Ipsos poll shows that the majority of Americans are concerned about political violence after the election.
Most Americans expect violence after Election Day but remain confident their vote will be counted correctly and are willing to accept the results of the presidential race, according to a up-to-date Scripps News/Ipsos poll.
The poll of 1,000 Americans found both parties have concerns about unrest after November 5th. Overall, 62% of respondents — including 70% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans — say election-related violence is “somewhat” or “very likely.”
And among respondents in the key battleground state of Wisconsin, also included in the survey, concern about violence is higher at 72%.
And many, 51%, say they would support using the U.S. military to deter potential threats around Election Day.
However, a huge majority of 77% also stated that they would be prepared to accept the election results if their preferred candidate lost.
Many Americans, regardless of party, would support using the military to prevent unrest on or after Election Day. This includes 61 percent of Republicans and 51 percent of Democrats. Additionally, about 56 percent believe the state of U.S. democracy is “weak.”
When asked how they felt about the election, 37 percent said they felt “anxious.” About 32 percent said they felt “hopeful,” while 21 percent said they felt “ready.”
Most Americans said they would be willing to accept the election results even if their preferred candidate doesn’t win. Three-quarters of respondents said this, including 85 percent of Democrats and 77 percent of Republicans.
A tiny percentage said they would support the exploit of violence to ensure their candidate’s victory. About eight percent said they believe using violent force to ensure Trump doesn’t win is justified, while six percent said using force to ensure Trump wins is acceptable.
The Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California Davis released a report indicating that 14 percent of Americans strongly believe it believe A civil war could break out in the next few years.
Given the impact of political division on American society over the past decade, it’s no surprise that most expect some form of violence surrounding the election – regardless of the outcome. America is currently a divided nation, and it doesn’t look like the divides will be easing any time soon.
To make matters worse, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are currently in a statistical dead heat, meaning it’s anyone’s race. Regardless of who wins, it will likely be a close election and the result will almost certainly be contested by the losing party. It could be quite a while before the public even knows which candidate will be the next president. Against this backdrop, the likelihood of violence remains high. The only question is: How violent would it be?
