By Althea Johnson, University Communications and Marketing
Researchers at the University of South Florida have released findings from a nationwide survey that measures attitudes related to key election issues. The survey, sponsored by Cyber Florida at USF, addresses how Americans feel about topics including artificial intelligence, foreign interference in U.S. elections, election fairness and political-related stress.
Among the results:
Voters are concerned about the potential impacts of AI on this year’s election, and most say the government hasn’t done enough to offset its risks.
- 46% think it’s at least “somewhat likely” that AI will impact the outcome of this year’s presidential election.
- The most common concerns include the use of AI to create and spread false content, such as altered images and “deep fake videos” (75%) and to amplify the spread of misinformation on social media (79%).
- 51% of voters say that the federal government has not done enough to address the risks of AI influence in this year’s election. Only 14% feel that the government has done enough, while 36% are unsure.
A small majority of American voters says that the federal government has not done enough to deter foreign actors from interfering in this year’s presidential election. A plurality of Democrats and Republicans each expect the other side to benefit more from foreign interference.
- 51% of voters say that the federal government has not done enough to deter foreign actors from interfering in this year’s presidential election.
- The most commonly voiced concerns included potential interference from Russia (62%), China (65%), and cyber-criminal organizations (67%).
- Most Democratic voters (54%) believe that Republicans benefit the most from foreign interference in U.S. elections, while a plurality of Republicans (47%) say that Democrats benefit more. Among independents, a plurality feel that Republicans benefit more from foreign interference (32%, compared to 17% who feel that Democrats benefit more and 27% who feel that both parties benefit equally).
After a historic and tumultuous political summer, nearly two-thirds of American voters report that politics is a source of stress for them.
- 66% say that politics is at least a “minor source of stress” for them, while one in five (19%) say that it’s a “significant source of stress.”
- Democrats are most likely to describe politics as a “significant source of stress” (24%, compared with 18% of independents and 15% of Republicans).
- 28% say that they’ve lost their temper over politics during the last month.
- More than one in four American voters say that politics has caused conflict in their families (27%) and among their friends (29%).
Most Americans agree that President Joe Biden “made the right decision” in dropping his bid for reelection. This includes over 80% of Democrats (84%), independents (85%), and Republicans (81%).
The Democratic Party currently enjoys slightly higher favorability than their Republican counterparts, though perceptions of the two parties remain largely unchanged after this summer’s campaign shakeup.
- Views of the Democratic Party 41% Favorable 42% Unfavorable
- Views of the Republican Party 36% Favorable 48% Unfavorable
- 41% trust Democratic Party leaders to act in America’s best interest
- 35% trust Republican Party leaders to act in America’s best interest
The nationwide survey included a representative sample of 1,500 registered voters, fielded July 28-Aug. 3, 2024. Results are reported with a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error +/- 2.5%. The complete results can be found here.
This report marks the third of four surveys set to be conducted quarterly over the course of the year. The final set of results will re-emphasize how social media usage affects political polarization, election-related stress and belief in election-related misinformation.