Political Violence Is A Big Worry In NJ, Poll Says: Election 2024

NEW JERSEY — Most New Jersey voters are worried about “political violence” as the 2024 election enters the home stretch, a new poll says. However, the overwhelming majority of Garden State voters seem like they’re ready to accept the results of the presidential matchup between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump – whichever way the election turns out.

The Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick recently released the results of a pair of surveys ahead of the general election on Nov. 5. Learn more about their polling methodologies here.

VIOLENCE IN POLITICS

The storming of the U.S. Capitol in 2021 and two assassination attempts on Trump’s life this election cycle have left their mark on New Jersey voters.

According to researchers, 59 percent of voters who responded to a survey said they think that “political violence” is a major problem in the United States. Another 28 percent said that political violence is at least a minor problem.

About 8 in 10 voters said it is either “very” (37%) or “somewhat likely” (42%) that there will be some sort of political violence in response to election results in the U.S. in the coming months.

It’s a worry that voters on both sides of the aisle are feeling in New Jersey, pollsters said:

“Once again, partisans agree on these issues, just at different levels: Republicans and independents are less likely than Democrats to say political violence is a major problem – though still half or more of each group feels this way – and smaller majorities among these two groups believe post-election violence is likely.”

Other highlights of the poll included:

BREAKING THE LAW – Fourteen percent of voters say there may be times where it is justified to break the law to defend one’s own political beliefs, advance a political objective or express political dissatisfaction; 71% don’t think it is ever justified and 15% are unsure. Independents are more likely to say this behavior can be justified than partisans on either side of the aisle.

PHYSICAL HARM – Overwhelming majorities say it is “never” justified to take actions such as physical harm (90%), property damage (87%) or intimidation (84%) to defend one’s own political beliefs, advance a political objective or express political dissatisfaction; voters largely view the action of protests or rallies as “always” (47%) or “sometimes” (33%) justified, however.

THE ODDS – Nearly all voters say they would be “not very likely” (7%) or “not at all likely” (90%) to ever consider engaging in political violence, yet 11% say they know someone who would. Democrats and independents are about four times more likely than Republicans to say they know someone who would consider it, though the percentages are still small.

“Concerns over democracy’s future and the threat of political violence are not one-sided,” said Ashley Koning, an assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP) at Rutgers University–New Brunswick

“Democrats, Republicans and independents alike are all worried about the same issue here, but likely foresee different solutions and likely blame the other side as the culprit,” Koning said.

“Living through a time marked by the constant threat and reality of political violence – including the Capitol riot, contentious protests, and assassination attempts within the past few years alone, it is hard for voters to see much hope for America’s future, especially in the coming weeks,” Koning added.

Results are from a statewide poll of 1,018 adults contacted through the probability-based Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel from Oct. 15 to Oct. 22. The full sample has a margin of error of +/- 4.1 percentage points. The registered voter subsample contains 929 registered voters and has a margin of error of +/- 4.2 percentage points.

HARRIS-TRUMP: ACCEPTING THE RESULTS

There’s a silver lining amid the worries about political violence, however – most people seem ready to accept the results of the presidential election.

A majority of New Jersey registered voters say they have faith in the legitimacy of the electoral process, whether looking back on 2020 or looking ahead, according to a special Rutgers-Eagleton poll done in partnership with NJ Advance Media and the Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience at the Eagleton Institute of Politics.

When it comes to 2024, about 81 percent of surveyed voters said they will accept the outcome of the presidential election regardless of whether their choice wins – with only about 5 percent saying they won’t. Another 15 percent said they don’t know how they feel.

While solid majorities of Democrats, independents and Republicans say they will accept the 2024 results, independents are about twice as likely and Republicans are about three times as likely as Democrats to say they are unsure, researchers added.

Researchers noted that “stark partisan differences prevail,” with Republicans either disagreeing (or agreeing to a lesser extent) about election integrity in recent years:

“Sixty-seven percent of voters say President Joe Biden legitimately won the presidency in 2020, versus 18% who feel he didn’t and 15% who are unsure. Nearly all Democrats say Biden won fairly (96%). A majority of independents say the same (60%), though 4 in 10 in this group believe he either didn’t (18%) or are unsure (22%). Republicans are mixed: 30% say he legitimately won, 46% say he didn’t and 24% are unsure.”

“New Jersey voters are generally more trusting of the state’s handling of the electoral process than they are the nation as a whole,” said Jessica Roman, director of data management and analysis at ECPIP. “However, voters in the Garden State maintain a level of skepticism around absentee and mail-in ballots here as compared with in-person voting.

Results are from a statewide poll of 1,018 adults contacted through the probability-based Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel from Oct. 15 to Oct. 22. The full sample has a margin of error of +/- 4.1 percentage points. The registered voter subsample contains 929 registered voters and has a margin of error of +/- 4.2 percentage points.

ELECTION INTEGRITY IN NEW JERSEY

Voter fraud does happen occasionally. When it does, we tend to hear a lot about it. It also gets caught and prosecuted, a recent Associated Press report said, citing numerous “safeguards” that are in place at multiple levels of the government. See Related: Yes, Voter Fraud Happens. But It’s Rare And Safeguards Are In Place.

In New Jersey, two Middlesex County women were charged with voter fraud in the 2024 presidential election, prosecutors announced last week. See Related: Parlin Woman Voted By Mail Using Dead Family Member’s Name: Prosecutor

The New Jersey Court system recently announced that judges will be available to conduct remote or in-person hearings for “election-related issues” up to Nov. 5. Voters, elections officials, and attorneys can appear either by video, telephone, or in person at courthouses.

Voters who are seeking assistance on how to cast their vote can contact their county clerk’s office and/or board of elections. If appropriate, these offices will make arrangements for the voter to appear remotely or report to a designated courtroom, where a hearing will be conducted.

A list of county clerks offices and election boards can be seen online here.

Any person who believes his or her right to vote has been interfered with, or who wishes to report other voting-related problems or concerns, can also call the state’s Voter Information and Assistance line toll-free at 1-877-NJVOTER (1-877-658-6837).

Any member of the public who has been subject to discrimination or harassment in connection with voting may also report the issue to the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights through the NJ BIAS online portal, available at https://bias.njcivilrights.gov, or by calling 1-800-277-BIAS (1-800-277-2427).

Here are some other reminders from the attorney general’s office:

VOTING RIGHTS – The LPS Voting Rights Resources webpage provides New Jersey residents with answers to frequently asked questions regarding the right to vote. The webpage explains how voters can report any problems they encounter during early voting or on Election Day.

DEEPFAKES – Earlier this month, Lieutenant Governor Way partnered with Attorney General Platkin to issue Political Deepfake Guidance to help New Jersey residents identify and avoid spreading deepfake photos, videos, and audio that use generative AI technologies to spread misinformation aimed at manipulating and misleading voters.

ELECTIONEERING – It is a criminal offense to solicit or electioneer voters within a “protective zone” as they enter or exit a polling location. Electioneering includes carrying signs and wearing clothing bearing slogans or insignia associated with any political party or candidate. The “protective zone” extends 100 feet from the outside entrance of any polling site. Attempts to interfere with voters within this zone are usually handled by poll site officials, with law enforcement officers from the appropriate agency appearing only when appropriate.

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