Securing Elections, Securing Confidence? Perceptions of Election Security Policies, Election Related Fraud Beliefs, and Voter Confidence in the United States

Recent accusations of election illegitimacy in the United States have sent election officials looking for ways to assure citizens election outcomes are fair. While much of the scholarly literature has examined election access and administration, this study examines how perceptions of the election security policies designed to prevent, monitor for, and prosecute fraud affect election related fraud beliefs and voter confidence. These policies represent attempts to bolster election security administration and effectiveness, and as such, should increase confidence among those who believe their state employs the policy and that it is effective. Results overwhelmingly confirm these expectations: voters believe there is less election related fraud and are more confident in elections when they believe their state employs more and more effective election security policies. However, numerous security policies must be perceived to be in place to see substantive shifts in election perceptions. Additional analyses suggest these effects also differ by party wherein they reduce fraud beliefs and increase confidence to a greater extent for Republicans. This study adds to a growing literature examining the role of election security policies in citizens' election perceptions.