For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Katelyn McNally
[email protected]
PENNSYLVANIA – A new poll commissioned by the Democracy Defense Project Pennsylvania Board found that an overwhelming majority of Pennsylvania voters feel confident in the results of recent statewide and local elections.
Conducted by National Research Inc. from May 15-18, with a sample of 600 likely voters and a margin of error of 4%, the poll found that 71% of voters feel confident in recent elections. This is a 4% increase from a similar poll conducted in September 2024.
“These poll results are what we hoped to see, but we know Pennsylvania can do more to bring parties together and protect the democratic process. Elections must remain fair, organized, and efficient to increase confidence and eliminate any chaos that would open the door to doubt,” former U.S. Representative and board member Melissa Hart stated.
One priority of the Democracy Defense Project Board is to continue urging state legislators to act on bipartisan solutions to improve state elections. In this poll, the majority of Pennsylvania voters also support these efforts. Poll respondents largely support initiatives to expedite the ballot counting process and streamline election day procedures, such as pre-canvassing, to relieve the burden on local poll workers and deliver election results faster.
Pre-canvassing, which is supported by 61% of Pennsylvania voters, allows the processing of ballots to begin in the days before Election Day, to save time so that vote counting can begin as soon as the polls close, expediting election results.
“Pennsylvania poll workers are overwhelmed and under-supported, even though they have one of the most important jobs in the democratic process. Pennsylvania should join the many other bipartisan states that allow pre-canvasing to alleviate some of the work to do on Election Day,” said board member Ed Rendell, a former Pennsylvania governor.
Overall, the poll results further confirm the need for Democracy Defense Project Pennsylvania’s mission – Pennsylvanians desire for transparency and integrity in the election process.
“Our goal is to elevate trust and rebuild confidence in our democracy. The polling shows Pennsylvania voter confidence is growing and they back the policies to further improve the process,” former Pennsylvania House Speaker and board member Keith McCall shared.
One such improvement centers on voter identification laws, which have been at a standstill for years.. Polling reports that nearly three-quarters, 74% of Pennsylvania voters, support the implementation of sensible voter ID requirements to ensure each citizen is eligible to vote and only cast their vote once.
“Sensible voter ID laws ensure that every vote is fair and equally counted without excluding eligible voters from the democratic process. We urge state lawmakers to work across the aisle on this topic because it is fundamental to the honesty and transparency of the electoral process,” said board member Jim Gerlach, a former U.S. Representative.
The Pennsylvania Democracy Defense Project is making strides to achieve its mission of restoring trust, confidence, and transparency in the electoral process, but there is still work to do. Lawmakers must bridge the gaps and cross the aisle to create bipartisan progress.
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More information on the Democracy Defense Project can be found at
https://www.democracydefenseproject.org/pa.
Published: Jun 26, 2025
