Popular Vote Shocker: Americans Start to Question 2020

November 07, 2024 Popular Vote Shocker: Americans Start to Question 2020  image

Key Takeaways

  • The results of the 2024 election rekindle distrust in the 2020 results as Biden’s historic voter numbers are anomalous.
  • Nostalgia for bygone era of electoral integrity fuels a desire for “restoration,” intensifying calls for transparency and a return to American values.
  • Language around election integrity is fearful, urgent, and spiritual, weaving a collective narrative that election outcomes are critical and existential. 

Our Methodology

Demographics

All Voters

Sample Size

20,000

Geographical Breakdown

National

Time Period

1 Day

MIG Reports leverages EyesOver technology, employing Advanced AI for precise analysis. This ensures unparalleled precision, setting a new standard. Find out more about the unique data pull for this article. 

Following Trump’s hostoric win in the 2024 election, more people are expressing skepticism about the results of the 2020 election. At the time of this writing, total votes cast in 2024 have fallen more than 16 million short of the 155 million touted in 2020.

Conversations reveal a sense of confusion and growing questions about the validity of 2020 numbers. People are voicing distrust in democratic institutions, confusions, concern, and grievance. Some point out the drastic spike in popular vote totals for Joe Biden in 2020 as an unconvincing anomaly which has not been sufficiently explained.

Suspicion and Distrust

  • Between 50-70% of election-related discussions show a pervasive belief that the 2020 election was manipulated or "stolen."
  • Sentiments are driven by old and new grievances around vote counting, absentee ballot handling, and perceived interference from influential political figures.
  • Many people view the 2020 election indicative of a corrupted electoral system, amplifying calls for transparency and changes to voting regulations.
  • This sustained distrust reflects wider skepticism of the institutions that continue to erode confidence in government institutions.

Idealizing Past “Truthful” Elections

  • Conversations contrast the perceived flaws of the 2020 election with an idealized past when voters feel elections were simpler and more transparent.
  • This nostalgic framing imagines a bygone era of “truthful” elections and democratic purity when voters trusted institutions.
  • Trump’s presidency is often framed as a period when political integrity and fairness were stronger, contrasting perceived betrayals in the 2020 outcome.
  • This idealization solidifies voters in a collective desire for “restoration” and perceived moral clarity.

Language of Fear and Urgency

  • Rhetoric around the 2020 election incorporates language of fear and urgency, often placed in existential terms.
  • Phrases like “the last free election” or “fight for our democracy” reinforce a belief that core American freedoms are at risk.
  • This language intensifies the emotional resonance of the “stolen election” narrative, presenting it as a political concern and an existential threat.
  • Framing magnifies the urgency for action, mobilizing those who doubt the legitimacy of the electoral process.

Collective Memory

  • There is a noticeable trend of commenters referencing old grievances, such as the 1960 Nixon-Kennedy election or other contentious moments in American political history.
  • By positioning the 2020 election in this historical context, people highlight a legacy of electoral controversy, which serves to legitimize current doubts.
  • Collective memory reinforces perceptions of a continuous struggle for transparency and fairness, battling systemic corruption.

Spiritual Appeals and Calls for Unity

  • Suspicion drives calls for urgent intervention, with many framing the restoration of democratic integrity as a moral and spiritual duty.
  • Americans call for unity through “prayers for America” or a “return to God’s values,” intertwining of faith and political viewpoints.
  • For many, questioning the 2020 election a civic duty and a moral imperative.
  • This spiritual framing fosters a sense of righteous indignation, mobilizing supporters around a higher cause and reinforcing their commitment to truth and transparency.

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