Nobody Trusts Elections -- That’s the Crisis in America

American Thinker ^ | 02/16/26 | Brian C. Joondeph

[SeekAndFind]

One of the most corrosive realities in contemporary American electoral politics isn't polarization, misinformation, or even foreign interference. It is something more basic: a majority of Americans no longer trust the integrity of their elections.

This is not a fringe belief limited to one party or ideology. According to polling from Rasmussen Reports, ahead of the 2024 presidential election, 62 percent of likely voters were “concerned that cheating will affect the outcome of the 2024 election.”

This skepticism crosses party lines and has persisted over the years. The pattern is clear: whichever party loses a presidential election claims the winning party cheated.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Image by ChatGPT

Democrats insisted George W. Bush stole the 2000 election. Many believed he did so again in 2004.

Advertisement

The idea that Donald Trump colluded with Russia to “steal” the 2016 election became a conviction on the political left, supported for years by media, weaponized intelligence community lies, and congressional investigations.

Republicans, especially President Donald Trump, believe the 2020 election was compromised through mail-in ballots, procedural changes enacted without legislatures, ballot harvesting, delayed counting, and statistical anomalies that were never convincingly explained. And now, after 2024, many Democrats again claim that Trump cheated to regain the presidency.

Advertisement

This recurring cycle reveals an important point: the issue is no longer who wins, but whether Americans trust the legitimacy of the system itself. It’s not about any specific election, but about the electoral process as a whole.

Whether Donald Trump “probably” won in 2020 is a separate debate, one with strong feelings on both sides. But that debate isn't the main point here. The real issue is that half the country sees every election loss as illegitimate, and nothing has been done to rebuild trust

[SeekAndFind]

Democracy cannot survive on blind faith alone. Trust must be earned through transparency, consistent rules, and procedures that make fraud difficult and detection easy.

[Nateman]

It is like that scene from ‘The Sting’ : ‘What was I supposed to do? Say he cheated better than me?’

[clearcarbon]

"And now, after 2024, many Democrats again claim that Trump cheated to regain the presidency."

You would think demRATs would have demanded for an audit unless maybe they knew it would show Trump won by a greater margin and more fraudulent democrat votes.

[Carry_Okie]

Democrats insisted George W. Bush stole the 2000 election.

Only because they weren't allowed to steal it.

[TheDon]

“Some countries go even further by requiring voting by law, as Australia does. While that might be a stretch for the United States, the core idea is solid: participation and legitimacy go hand in hand.”

Forcing everyone to vote means 100% participation which means a 100% legitimate election. If only...

Participation does imply legitimacy, but only if participation is voluntary. Not that the election is legitimate but the voter believes it to be so.

[Paladin2]

I vote to be just left alone.

[Terry L Smith]

Ever since The Days of Chad have I suspected Democrat shenanigans, new with each election year.

[Iron Munro]

[rellic]

If you honestly believe you can rely on a modern Democrat to be ethical, you are an idiot.

[citizen]

—How to restore confidence: Secure, clean voter rolls and picture IDs to vote, via paper ballots, no mail-in voting except where necessary and voting that doesn’t drag on for weeks after Election Day.

[rdcbn1]

The area I used to live in was amazing when it came to elections.

Everything was done efficiently and by the book.

All results were totaled and recorded and certified by 10 pm

There was never more than 1/2 hour wait to vote at least for me.

Now, with all the new rules and voting machines, there can lines for hours and it takes days to total the vote results.

[9YearLurker]

The truth shall set you free.

[Bullish]

Nobody trusts election anymore? Why would we?

[InkStone]

“Nobody Trusts Elections — That’s the Crisis in America”
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
What RUBBISH : the ‘Crisis in America’ is that we have shoved God, and faith in His Son, Jesus the Savior Christ, OUT of America.
All this madness we see is NOT the CAUSE. IT’S THE RESULT.

[Alberta's Child]

The biggest flaw I see in our elections is that a person who registers to vote remains on the voter rolls indefinitely. This creates a huge potential for abuse in cases where the voter dies or relocates to another state or even just stops voting.

The simplest way to restore some measure of integrity to the system is to purge the voter rolls after every election and make voters “re-register” every time they vote.

[Recompennation]

New install’t spamburger nuisance clone of a virginia gubernor is another tell on the election smell.
Virginia democrats have fingered the election scales with impunity for years using the dc crutch, it is time to Georgia up.

[FLT-bird]

I propose the US adopt the following election integrity measures to restore trust in elections....incidentally, these election integrity measures are used in just about EVERY other democratic country.

1. You SHOW UP and vote IN PERSON

2. You show GOVERNMENT ISSUED PHOTO ID to prove your eligibility to vote and that you are who you say you are.

3. You vote on ELECTION DAY

4. Strict limits on mail in ballots and strict chain of custody required. The number of mail in ballots from each precinct must be recorded and reported daily. Only service members on duty overseas and those who are physically unable to make it to the polls allowed to vote by mail and multiple observers from each party must be present to ensure the validity of the vote.

5. All political parties in the election have the right to have watchers present during the vote count with a MEANINGFUL RIGHT TO OBSERVE AND CONTEST EACH BALLOT COUNTED. This means close enough to read each ballot. Close enough that the vote counter can smell their bad breath and BO. No, we don't care if their proximity means the vote counter is "intimidated" or "flustered" or whatever. Tough. Part of the job. Deal with it.

6. All contested ballots to be set aside and adjudicated by a committee of judges consisting of members of each of the political parties participating in the election.

7. Results of the election announced that night....not days, not weeks, not months later. Hours. That's all you need. That's the way we did it for over 200 years and we need to go back to that.

Do the above and people would magically learn how to count. There would never be a question as to how many outstanding ballots there were in each precinct. The trust of the American people in the integrity of elections would be restored. They do this just about everywhere else in the world that's actually democratic.

[MayflowerMadam]

“The biggest flaw I see in our elections is that a person who registers to vote remains on the voter rolls indefinitely.”

In most states — maybe all states — that’s not legal. But the RATs aren’t going to enforce those laws. Corpses are their most ardent voters.

I was in charge of elections for a few years in the early ‘80s. We physically combed through data printed on the tractor-feed, dot matrix paper and compared names of people on the rolls and the last time they voted. IIRC, if they hadn’t voted in the last four elections, they were gone from the rolls. I have no idea if that’s still being done, though.

[FLT-bird]

Yes, I forgot to add.....paper ballots only. Why? They leave an audit trail that electronic voting does not and they’re far more difficult to cheat with on a large scale or centrally. You’d need widespread cheating at the district level OR you’d need to cheat when the votes are counted....and even then destroying actual ballots and coming up with replacement ones that weren’t obvious presents a very difficult challenge.

[oldtech]

Why would folks trust elections when one party wants deviations in election rules that make it easier for the illegal aliens, the dead, those who manage to vote in more that an one state,those who like voting several times in one election, etc? When people are certain or reasonably so that elections are done honestly & votes counted honestly, then maybe more honest people will vote. Until then, I suspect that many just do not vote.