Subscribe to the Real Truth for FREE news and analysis.
Subscribe NowReuters – More than four in ten supporters of both President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, said they would not accept the result of the November election if their preferred candidate loses, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
The survey, conducted from October 13-20, shows 43 percent of Biden supporters would not accept a Trump victory, while 41 percent of Americans who want to re-elect Mr. Trump would not accept a win by Mr. Biden.
Smaller portions would take action to make their displeasure known: 22 percent of Biden supporters and 16 percent of Trump supporters said they would engage in street protests or even violence if their preferred candidate loses.
U.S. election officials are dealing with a series of challenges this year that have raised concerns about the public’s confidence in the result.
Top national security officials warned last week that Russia and Iran have been hacking into U.S. voting systems and looking for ways to undermine the election.
Donald Green, a political scientist at Columbia University, said the poll results ease his concerns about post-election violence. But he warned that if the election is close, or one candidate can make a credible accusation of voter fraud, it could spark wider discontent and protests than the poll suggests.