Mood of the nation: How do Americans feel about who should be allowed to vote? And why?

by KRISTINE LIAO | Updated June 29, 2021

In the wake of the 2020 presidential election, voting rights and restrictions have become a central point of partisan debate and political agenda. While many Republican-led states are attempting to pass legislation that tightens voter eligibility rules and makes it harder to register to vote, Democrats are heading efforts in Congress to restore voting rights and make voting easier in federal elections.

The division between the two parties on the political stage is no doubt pronounced, but where do everyday Americans stand on the issue of election laws and voting rights?

In an effort to gauge how Americans are feeling about various aspects of the country’s politics and society, Penn State’s nonpartisan McCourtney Institute for Democracy regularly conducts the nationally representative Mood of the Nation poll. The April 2021 poll included several questions on election policies. Below are some of the key findings on how Americans feel about who should be allowed to vote and why.

Nearly three-quarters of Americans favor allowing people convicted of felonies to vote after serving their sentences.

The strong support for this policy is reflective of the general trend of states restoring the right to vote at some point for people convicted of felonies. Currently, 37 states and the District of Columbia automatically restore voting rights for people convicted of felonies upon completion of sentence, which includes parole or probation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Support for allowing those convicted of felonies to vote after serving their time crosses political lines: 89% of Democrats favor the policy, followed by 66% of Independents, and 54% of Republicans. However, among all demographic groups we assessed, Republicans had the lowest percentage of respondents who favored restoring voting rights to those with felony records. Thus it is not surprising that eight of the 11 states that currently do not automatically restore voting rights favored Republican former President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

Americans are politically divided on whether people should be removed from registration lists if they have not recently voted or confirmed their registration.

When it comes to the question of removing people from registration lists if they have not recently voted or confirmed their registration, Americans are evenly split: 48% support the idea while 52% are opposed, a difference that is within this survey’s margin of error.

Unlike the case for restoring voting rights for the formerly incarcerated, support for voter roll purging varies across many of the demographic groups we assessed. The starkest contrast exists between Democrats and Republicans: 80% of Democrats oppose this policy whereas the same proportion of Republicans favor it. Independents are roughly split down the middle on this policy, with 55% responding that they either strongly or somewhat favor removing people from registration lists if they have not recently voted or confirmed their registration.

More than 80% of Americans support using a nation-wide database to identify ineligible voters or using administrative records to remove voters who are no longer living.

Although Democrats and Republicans are deeply divided in their views on purging those who have not recently voted or confirmed their voting status, strong majorities from both political affiliations approved of cleaning up voter rolls through either:

• Using a nation-wide database to identify ineligible voters, or

• Using administrative records to remove voters who are no longer living.

In response to whether states should cooperate on a nation-wide database that provides information on address changes and duplicate registrations, a strong majority of 83% said yes. This majority holds across political affiliation: 91% for Republicans, 80% for Democrats and 78% for Independents.

Consensus around using information from the Social Security Administration and state death certificates to remove voters who are no longer living was even stronger, with nine in 10 respondents indicating support. At least 85% of respondents answered “yes” to this question across all of the demographic and political groups that we assessed.

A strong majority of Americans support requiring government-issued photo ID to vote.

Voter ID laws have been considered by many state legislatures in recent years, and the resulting national geography related to this policy is highly partisan: 14 of the 18 states that require a government-issued photo ID favored Trump in the 2020 election, whereas 13 of the 15 states that do not require an ID favored President Joe Biden.

The April Mood of the Nation poll shows that nearly 70% of American adults support the requirement. Among all the groups that we assessed, Republicans had the strongest support for a voter ID requirement with 95% in favor. Democrats were the only demographic group that did not show majority support with 55% opposing the policy.

Democrats and Republicans are divided on whether the government should prioritize making voting as easy as possible or making sure all voters are eligible.

In a question that attempts to sum up how people feel toward voter registration, the April Mood of the Nation poll asked respondents which of the following statements comes closest to their views:

• It is the government’s responsibility to make it as easy as possible for eligible citizens to register to vote.

• It is the government’s responsibility to make sure that everyone who registers is actually eligible, even if that makes voting harder and less convenient.

A slight majority of 53% chose the first statement, but when broken down by political party, the results show that Democrats and Republicans are starkly divided. More than 83% of Democrats prioritize emphasizing the ease of voting, while more than 81% of Republicans favor ensuring voter eligibility. Independents are split, with a slight majority (55%) favoring ensuring eligibility.

The April Mood of the Nation poll asked respondents to explain why they feel the way they do about the government’s responsibility in the election process. Listen to the reasonings behind their views in the audio clips below and read a sample of the full responses at the end of the summary report.

Among those who believe the government should prioritize making sure that everyone who registers is actually eligible, a common reason they gave was the need to keep elections fair. Many cited widespread voter fraud as a primary concern, while others explained that they just want systems in place to ensure legitimacy.

Another theme among this group of respondents is the idea that voting is a privilege, and therefore it is more important for the government to make sure only those eligible can register, even if that makes voting harder and less convenient.

On the other side of the argument, respondents who believe the government should make it as easy as possible for eligible citizens to register to vote reasoned that many people already have a difficult time getting to the polls. Efforts to smooth out the voter registration process will therefore lower barriers for disadvantaged people and also help increase voter turnout.

Respondents in this group also argued that there should not be a trade-off between making it as easy as possible for eligible citizens to register and ensuring the legitimacy of the election process. In other words, the government should do both—make voting easy and make sure voters are eligible.

PARTNER FOR THIS SURVEY

The McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State promotes scholarship and practical innovations that defend and advance democracy in the United States and abroad. Through teaching, research, and public outreach, the Institute leverages the resources of Penn State and partners around the world to foster a model of deliberation, policymaking, and responsiveness that is passionate, informed, and civil.

The Institute’s Mood of the Nation poll offers a unique approach to public opinion polling. It allows Americans to speak in their own words through open-ended questions that focus on emotions like anger and hope, as well as commitment to constitutional principles.

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