A new Gallup poll shows increasing support for election integrity measures, with strong majorities favoring voter ID and proof of citizenship requirements.
With less than two weeks until the 2024 presidential election, a new Gallup poll shows growing support for election integrity measures compared to prior election cycles, with vast majority of U.S. adults in favor of requiring photo identification to cast a ballot and proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
The poll, released on Oct. 24, found that 84 percent of American adults support voter ID measures, marking an increase from the 80 percent who expressed support for the measure ahead of the 2016 election, and the 79 percent who backed it during the 2022 midterm elections.
Additionally, 83 percent of respondents in the latest poll said they support requiring proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote for the first time.
This year’s poll marks Gallup’s first attempt to measure public opinion on the citizenship requirement for voter registration, a particularly contentious issue in the current election cycle where illegal immigration has become a more prominent concern for voters. Besides border security being a key issue in this election cycle, some surveys indicate a lack of trust in election officials’ efforts to prevent noncitizens from voting.
U.S. citizenship is a requirement to vote in federal elections but the National Voter Registration Act allows those without documented proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections by signing an avowal under penalty of perjury.
A number of states have introduced bills that would establish proof of citizenship requirements, with opponents of such measures often arguing they amount to unreasonable restrictions on casting a ballot. In July, the Republican-led House passed a bill mandating citizenship verification, but the Democrat-led Senate has yet to vote on it.
While there is significant partisan division with respect to both photo ID and proof of citizenship requirements, there’s majority support among both Democrats and Republicans for the measures.
Backing for photo identification requirements is nearly unanimous among Republicans, with 98 percent in favor, reflecting a long-standing priority for stricter election integrity measures. Democrats also support photo ID requirements by a narrower margin of 67 percent. Independents are somewhere in between, with 84 percent in favor, per the latest Gallup poll.
