We already witnessed examples of this in the certification process in a couple of key states. These hundreds of elected leaders now have bigger platforms to communicate with constituencies and continue to spread misinformation or attempt to sow seeds of doubt to prime voters to reject future election results. But it was hardly fatal in many other contests considering the sheer number of elected leaders who currently are or will be serving in office and have denied, disputed, or raised questions about election results. That likely was the case in some key races in competitive states and districts. Some headlines have proclaimed that election denial wasn’t a winning strategy in 2022. The International Election Observation Mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe pointed out in its November 2022 report “noted efforts to undermine voters’ trust in the electoral process by baselessly questioning its integrity can result in systemic challenges.”
How election deniers performed in 2022Įlection denial has spread and continues to undermine faith in American election systems. The extent to which unfounded claims of election fraud have become integrated into campaigns and used as a tools for fundraising efforts are particularly corrosive to democratic institutions when they translate into attempts to reshape voting laws that create divergent access and rights, and contribute to rising violent threats against election workers. While the good news is that surveys show the majority of Americans are confident their votes will be accurately cast and counted, confidence is at historic lows and there is a partisan divide. Nearly $500 million was raised by 192 candidates who fully denied results compared to about $515 million raised by those who ran in opposition. Candidates who fully denied the 2020 election didn’t have all that much trouble raising funds. An analysis of 552 Republican candidates running for Senate, House of Representatives, governor, secretary of state, and attorney general in the 2022 elections shows that close to half (221 candidates) who made statements on a spectrum from those who accepted the 2020 election outcome with reservations to those who fully denied the results won in 2022. She will be contributing periodically to the Crystal Ball, and her first piece - on how election deniers performed in the 2022 elections - is below.
Dear Readers: Listeners to our “Politics is Everything” podcast are already familiar with Carah Ong Whaley, who joined the Center for Politics several months ago.
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