Trust breakdown: Democrats and Republicans think other side will cheat to steal POTUS election

'It’s pretty significant that more people think Republicans (50%) will cheat than Democrats (38%). While there is obviously a strong partisan dynamic, the generational perceptions are stunning,' - Scott Rasmussen

By Carrie Sheffield

Published: July 20, 2020 1:35pm

Updated: July 21, 2020 11:04am

Democrats and Republicans each think their rival party will cheat to win November presidential election, according to a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen.

The polls results come amid the Trump and Biden campaigns locked in a fierce battle over balloting methods during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Republicans have expressed concerns about the potential for voter fraud that would could come with an election decided by a likely record number of mail-in ballots.

The results also come one after President Trump responded to Fox News host Chris Wallace's question about whether Trump would accept a November loss.

“I have to see. Look ... I have to see,” Trump said Sunday. “No, I’m not going to just say ‘yes.’ I’m not going to say ‘no,’ and I didn’t last time, either.”

Just the News Poll, How likely is it that Democrats will resort to cheating to steal the election?

Just the News Daily Poll

With Scott Rasmussen

"It’s pretty significant that more people think Republicans (50%) will cheat than Democrats (38%). While there is obviously a strong partisan dynamic, the generational perceptions are stunning," Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen noted that while voters of all ages think the GOP is more likely to cheat, the gap is much smaller among senior citizens (5 percentage points) than the youngest voters (37 percentage points).

Just the News Poll, How likely is it that Republicans will resort to cheating to steal the election?

Just the News Daily Poll

With Scott Rasmussen

"These numbers suggest that in a close election, the victorious candidate will have difficulty establishing a perception of legitimacy," Rasmussen said.

Just the News Daily Poll respondents were asked: "If the presidential election is very close, how likely is it that the Democrats will resort to cheating to steal the election?" They responded as below:

27% Very Likely
11% Somewhat Likely
11% Not Very Likely
37% Not At All Likely
14% Not Sure

They were subsequently asked "Okay… If the presidential election is very close, how likely is it that the Republicans will resort to cheating to steal the election?" They responded as below:

30% Very Likely
20% Somewhat Likely
18% Not Very Likely
18% Not At All Likely
13% Not Sure

The national survey of 1,200 registered voters was conducted July 16-18, 2020 by Rasmussen, a polling veteran. Margin of sampling error: +/- 2.8% for full sample.

To see the full demographic cross-tabulations for this polling question, click below:

2020-7-20 JTN Poll Crosstabs.pdf

To see the methodology and sample demographics for this polling question, click below:

2020-July 16-18 JTN Poll Methodology & Sample.pdf