The Pew study, which surveyed 5,140 Americans, reveals that as the 2024 general election approaches, there is a consensus among most Americans to designate election day as a holiday. However, opinions diverge on voter registration and ballot delivery issues. The survey underscores bipartisan backing for various election policies, aiming to inform Americans about their compatriots’ stances on voting matters.
Jocelyn Kiley, Pew’s associate research director, emphasizes the significance of understanding where individuals stand on voting policies to facilitate alignment or divergence of views. The survey delves into the election policies that unite and separate Americans based on party affiliations and ideological distinctions within parties.
Notably, a policy commanding substantial bipartisan support is the mandate for paper ballots alongside electronic voting machines, endorsed by 82% of respondents, including 82% of Democrats and 85% of Republicans. Surprisingly, liberal-leaning Democrats exhibit closer alignment with Conservative-leaning Republicans on this issue than with party moderates.
While a majority favors presenting a photo ID to vote, this measure garners more support from Republicans (95%) than Democrats (69%). Additionally, over 70% advocate for commencing in-person voting two weeks before Election Day and establishing Election Day as a national holiday, with greater backing from Democratic voters.
The proposition to make Election Day a federal holiday has gained traction over the years, championed by liberal Democrats (88%), a significant proportion of Republicans (68%), and moderate Democrats (69%). However, only 69% support restoring voting rights to felons post-sentence completion, with notable disparities between conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats.
Republicans exhibit less enthusiasm for policies expanding registration and voting options, such as universal mail-in voting, automatic voter registration, and same-day voter registration, despite these measures garnering 57% support overall. Support for voter registration at polling stations has waned since 2018, attributed to reduced Republican endorsement.
While mail-in voting enjoys widespread popularity, a stark partisan contrast emerges, with 21% of Conservative Republicans and 93% of liberal Democrats endorsing the practice. The shift in Republican support for universal mail-in voting since 2020 underscores evolving attitudes towards election procedures.
Partisan divisions persist even in states with varying mail-in voting prevalence, indicating entrenched ideological differences. The study highlights the evolving landscape of voting policies and the nuanced perspectives shaping Americans’ electoral views.
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