Welcome to NAVIGATOR – a project designed to better understand the American public’s views on issues of the day and help advocates, elected officials, and other interested parties understand the language, imagery, and messaging needed to make and win key policy arguments.
This release features findings from a national online survey of 985 registered voters conducted November 10-12, 2020.
Key takeaways
- By a 20-point margin, a majority believe Donald Trump should concede the election, including one in five Trump voters.
- Doubt about the accuracy of the vote count remains high among Trump voters.
- Three in five Americans believe it is time for the transition process to begin.
What We Did
The Majority of Americans, Including a Fifth of Trump Voters, Say President Trump Should Concede the Election
Since November 5th, there has been a 28-point increase in the share who say Trump should concede the election right now, including a 13-point increase among Trump voters and a 42-point increase among Biden voters.
Most Americans Continue to Say Biden is Winning the Election
About three in four say Biden is winning the election.
- Nearly eight in ten independents (78%) say Biden is winning the election.
Growing Number of Republicans Expect Long Wait for Election Winner
Three in four Biden voters say we already know who won while just one in four Trump voters say the same.
- Since November 5th, there has been a 28-point increase in the share of Republicans who say we will know the results of the presidential election “sometime by the end of November” or “not until after” (from 35% to 63%).
A Majority Side With Biden Campaign Instead of Trump Campaign and Its Claims the Election “Is Not Over”
Levels of support for the Biden campaign are higher among Biden voters (92%) than support for the Trump campaign is among Trump voters (83%).
Approval Ratings of Biden’s Response to the Election Results Remain High While Trump’s Remain in the Negative
Biden’s approval ratings on his response to the election results nearly double Trump’s approval ratings on the issue.
Three in Five Say Trump “Just Wants to Win” While Majority Say Biden Wants an “Honest and Accurate Count”
Only a third of Americans say Trump “wants an honest and accurate count of the votes” while more than half say the same of Biden.
- Nearly one in four (23%) Trump voters say Trump “just wants to win.”
Most Americans Believe It’s Time for the Transition to Begin
More than half of Americans say a range of items – from foreign leaders calling Biden to congratulate him to Secret Service beginning to provide additional protection to Biden – are appropriate and not premature.
- One in four (27%) Trump voters say it is an appropriate time to start transitioning power between presidents.
Confidence Remains High in Election Results, Though Much Higher Among Biden Voters Than Trump Voters
Since November 8th, there has been a 10-point increase in confidence among Trump voters that the results of the election will be counted correctly and fairly, though still less than half say they are confident.
Concerns About Voter Fraud Remain Higher Than Concerns About Suppression Especially Among Trump Voters
Three in ten Americans say they are not concerned about voter suppression or voter fraud in the ongoing count of the election results, while two in five now say they are more concerned about voter fraud.
- Seven in ten (70%) Trump voters are more concerned about voter fraud than voter suppression.
