FACT BRIEF

Are a majority of people in Wisconsin confident about the accuracy of Wisconsin elections?

Friday, September 8, 2023

By Tom Kertscher

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YES

The Marquette Law School Poll has asked Wisconsin residents nine times since August 2021 about the 2020 election in Wisconsin, with this question:

“How confident are you that, here in Wisconsin, the votes for president were accurately cast and counted?”

Each time, between 63% and 67% said “very confident or somewhat confident.”

The others said “not too confident” or “not at all confident,” or said they didn’t know.

At a legislative hearing Aug. 29, 2023, former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman said, “A majority of people in Wisconsin have doubts about the honesty of elections in this state.”

That's true if you consider those who responded "somewhat confident" as "having doubts." Poll director Charles Franklin said it's ambiguous whether someone who is "somewhat confident" has doubts.

Gableman conducted a Republican-led, taxpayer-funded investigation of the 2020 Wisconsin election. A judge found that the probe uncovered no evidence of voter fraud.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Google Docs Marquette Law School 2020 presidential election confidence polling

WisconsinEye (2:08:40) Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection

Wisconsin Watch Did the Wisconsin Legislature’s 2020 election integrity probe find evidence of widespread voter fraud?

Wisconsin Watch Fake electors: Did candidate Dan Kelly advise on plan?

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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.