In this Nov. 4, 2020, file photo, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf speaks during a news conference in Harrisburg, Pa.
Julio Cortez / AP Photo
A new poll shows Pennsylvania voters remain divided about the 2020 presidential election more than a year later
4 out of 10 voters in Pennsylvania are not confident the election was fair -- even though there's no evidence to suggest that.
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Julia Agos/WITF -
Jeremy Long/WITF
Julio Cortez / AP Photo
In this Nov. 4, 2020, file photo, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf speaks during a news conference in Harrisburg, Pa.
(Harrisburg) – A recent Muhlenberg College survey revealed that, 40% of respondents — including 7 out of 10 Republicans — are either “very” or ‘somewhat” confident there was widespread fraud in 2020, even though there’s not evidence to suggest that.
State and county election officials, two state-mandated audits and dozens of court cases determined the election was free and fair, and the results were accurate.
On WITF’s Smart Talk – Democratic Governor Tom Wolf – says he’d like to work with Republican lawmakers on broadening resources for election administrators and extending the time ballots can be sorted and counted.
Republican lawmakers should stop investigating past elections, Wolf said.
“I think it’s time to move on,” Wolf said. “It is sour grapes, and it doesn’t strike me as having any relevance to where we are. We’ve had a number of elections since then.”
The survey also highlighted how party affiliation is affecting Pennsylvania voters’ priorities when it comes to conducting free and fair elections.
- 57 percent of Democrats who voted in November 2020 say voter suppression is the biggest threat to the goal.
- About two out out three Republicans see voter fraud or mail in ballots as the main obstacles.
There is no evidence of widespread fraud or problems with mail ballots.
Wolf pointed out that Act 77 – which significantly expanded access to mail in ballots in 2019- had majority Republican support.
“I’m not sure what the actual complaint is,” he said. “But the election system here in Pennsylvania was free and fair and the count was accurate.”
The survey also found that voters are more likely to trust county election officials to provide safe and accurate elections than the state’s legislative, executive or judicial branches.
The poll of over 500 general election voters in Pennsylvania was conducted in the first two weeks of December.
The margin of error was plus or minus five percentage points.
Sometimes, your mornings are just too busy to catch the news beyond a headline or two. Don’t worry. The Morning Agenda has got your back. Each weekday morning, host Tim Lambert will keep you informed, amused, enlightened and up-to-date on what’s happening in central Pennsylvania and the rest of this great commonwealth.
