A majority of Wisconsin voters have confidence in the accuracy of the 2024 state election process, according to new data shared exclusively with TMJ4.
The poll found that 47% of voters in battleground Wisconsin were "very confident" that votes were accurately cast and counted in the 2024 election. When including voters who were "somewhat confident," that figure jumps to 78%.
TMJ4's Chief Political Reporter Charles Benson spoke with pollsters Dave Sackett and Paul Maslin about the poll results.
"I think the headline with the poll results is that Wisconsin continues to perform better than many parts of the country in terms of voters having a level of confidence in election integrity in the system," said Dave Sackett, a Republican pollster with The Tarrance Group.
"They are confident in elections in Wisconsin, and the sort of partisan polarization that everybody talks about is fairly minimal. They were confident about 2024," said Paul Maslin, a Democratic pollster with FM3 Research.
Another key finding shows the overall level of confidence in the election process improved in the state Supreme Court race, with 54% saying votes were accurately cast and counted.
The Wisconsin poll was commissioned by the bipartisan Democracy Defense Project (DDP) after the state's spring election. Democrats were more confident than Republicans in the April 2025 results when liberal-backed candidate Susan Crawford won in a landslide.
The same poll found confidence among Republicans soared in the 2024 election results after Donald Trump won Wisconsin. Trump falsely claimed he won the 2020 election.
Strong support for absentee ballot reform
That degree of voter confidence extends to potential reform in tabulating absent votes. When DDP asked if voters favor or oppose allowing election officials to begin "processing, verifying, and tabulating absentee ballots" but not tallying on the Monday before the election, a surprising 76% strongly or somewhat favor the idea.
"As tribal as we are, we can't get people to agree whether the sun rises in the east or the west," Sackett said.
"It's across the partisanship," veteran pollster Sackett said. "You've got 70% of Republicans who say that's a good idea. Seventy percent of independent voters say that's a good idea. It's at 80% among Democrats."
Last November's presidential election produced a record 3.4 million Wisconsin votes, with 1.56 million votes cast early. The record turnout for the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race generated nearly 700,000 absentee votes — more than half of which were in-person.
State law prevents clerks from counting any early ballots until the start of Election Day — a process that takes longer because absentee ballots require more clerical paperwork and processing.
Voters prefer early processing over other reforms
When asked which proposal would most improve election integrity in Wisconsin, voters overwhelmingly chose allowing early processing of absentee ballots over tabulating and immediately counting early in-person votes.
The poll found that 66% preferred a proposal allowing election officials to begin processing, verifying, and tabulating absentee ballots one day earlier.
"It's support coming from Democrats, independents, Republicans, and all regions of the state," said Maslin.
Lawmakers in the state Assembly agreed in 2023 to allow pre-ballot processing, but the bill never made it through the Senate. Governor Tony Evers supports the idea, but lawmakers have not taken up the idea in 2025.
Election officials/workers viewed positively
The poll found that when it comes to how voters see election officials and workers, 70% view them as "important volunteers in our community who count votes fairly," while 28% regard them as "partisans" who "need to be monitored."
On a scale of "not at all important" to "extremely important," seven out of ten voters ranked election integrity and election reform in the range of "extremely important."
"There's an appetite for reform proposals or innovations to speed up the process of counting and tabulating votes so that they can get those election results more quickly," Sackett said.
"Even with the close elections we've had in the last decade or so, the fact that most voters are confident about how the elections are being handled and run, and the actual results, tells me that at least Wisconsin is passing the test," Maslin said, "and maybe these reforms would make it even better."
Voter ID and ballot drop boxes
Required voter identification remains the number one issue of importance for voters. An ID has been required to vote in Wisconsin for more than a decade. Governor Scott Walker signed it into law in 2011.
Republicans have opposed the use of ballot drop boxes. In 2022, the conservative-led Wisconsin Supreme Court (WSC) banned absentee ballots from being returned via drop boxes. After the court flipped, the liberal majority reversed the ban in 2024.
The DDP poll shows widespread support for a required "statewide standard set of rules" regarding access and security for all municipalities. Fifty-one percent of voters strongly support the idea — it jumps to 78% when combined with those who somewhat support it.
About the poll
The Democracy Defense Project is a bipartisan organization set up in eight states, including Wisconsin, with the goal of "restoring confidence in America's electoral system."
Six hundred likely voters statewide participated in the poll between April 7-10, with roughly 40% identifying as Republicans, 38% as Democrats, and 22% as independents. The margin of error is +/- 4.1%.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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