62% of US voters expect post-election violence, new poll shows

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
24 Oct 2024 23:13
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This concern is widespread across party lines, with 70% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans expressing fears of post-election unrest.

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A member of the U.S. Secret Service counter sniper team sets up before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. (AP)

A fresh poll released on Thursday by Scripps News and Ipsos revealed that 62% of US voters believe violence is "somewhat" or "very likely" following the upcoming November 5 election.

This concern is widespread across party lines, with 70% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans expressing fears of post-election unrest.

In response to these concerns, 51% of respondents indicated support for the deployment of the US military to prevent any potential threats surrounding election day.

The poll, conducted between October 18-20 among 1,028 adult voters, also showed that 77% of voters would accept the election results even if their preferred candidate loses.

Another January 6?

The heightened concern about violence comes as the Democratic Party works on plans to prevent a repeat of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots, which occurred after former President Donald Trump rejected the results of the 2020 election and accused Democrats of voter fraud.

The 2021 unrest was a key point of reference in the poll, which reflects growing anxiety over election integrity and public safety.

Donald Trump particularly faced significant legal and political consequences after the riots, though he was not sent to jail for it.

In the immediate aftermath of the events, the House of Representatives impeached Trump for the second time, charging him with "incitement of insurrection" due to his role in encouraging the rioters.

Trump became the first US president to be impeached twice. However, during the Senate trial in February 2021, he was acquitted because the necessary two-thirds majority (67 votes) was not reached, although seven Republicans joined Democrats in voting to convict him.

The Democratic Party said it has been working on implementing measures aimed at preventing a repeat of those events.

This includes bolstering security, developing contingency plans, and addressing the spread of misinformation that could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.