Confidence in Americans’ Election Day Choices Plummets Among

Confidence in America’s voting choices has plummeted among independent and Republican voters following the 2020 presidential election, according to a new poll.

A survey released by Axios/Ispos poll on Saturday found that the election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump caused voters to express less confidence in the “wisdom of America’s choices.” The issue is particularly felt among independents, with just 37 percent saying they now have faith in voters’ choices. Among Republicans, that number is now 46 percent.

For comparison, a poll conducted by Ispos in 2019 found that 72 percent of Republicans and 55 percent of independents felt confident that Americans would make the right choice on Election Day.

Democrats are the only group that recently gained confidence in America’s elections, jumping from 39 percent in 2019 to 48 percent after Biden won the presidency.

Ipsos pollster and senior vice president Chris Jackson said the latest survey indicates that while the 2020 election energized some partisan voters, those who are less willing to align with one political group are feeling increasingly turned off by politics.

“I think they’re the ones who are really being damaged by this,” Jackson said, per Axios. “This is saying they’re feeling increasingly alienated from politics.”

The poll also found that independents are now more likely to say that they won’t vote in upcoming elections, jumping from 11 percent in 2019 to 16 percent today.

The survey was conducted from November 3 to November 14 using a nationally representative population of 1,273 adults. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.0 percentage points.

The latest results come after a Quinnipiac University poll this week found that Biden’s overall approval rating has reached record lows—particularly among independents and Republicans. In total, just 36 percent of all Americans approved of Biden’s job performance, while a vast majority of GOP voters (94 percent) and independents (56 percent) expressed disappointment in the president’s actions.

Biden’s new ratings comes as Americans have increasingly criticized his handling of key issues such as the coronavirus pandemic, inflation, foreign policy and climate change. According to the polling institute, Biden received his lowest marks in all four areas this week.

Meanwhile, recent polling has suggested that Trump may be well-positioned for a rematch against Biden if the ex-commander-in-chief runs for president again in 2024.

A survey released this month by Emerson College found that 45 percent of voters suggested they would vote for Trump, while 43 said they would back Biden. An additional, 11 percent of voters said they want to vote for “someone else,” and just 1 percent said they remain “undecided.”