HOUSTON (WBAP/KLIF) – The University of Houston is gauging where Texans stand on allegations of voter fraud in the Presidential election, and the January 6 storming of the U.S. capitol building.
The Hobby School of Public Affairs conducted an online survey in English and Spanish among Texans 18 and older January 12-20, with 1,329 YouGov respondents. According to the University, the respondents were matched to a sampling frame on gender, age, ethnicity and education, and are representative of the Texas adult population.
The report released Thursday reveals 55% of Texans believe there was no widespread voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election. But the findings indicate a sharp partisan difference on the issue with 87% of Democrats believing there was no widespread election fraud and 83% of Republicans believing that there was.
“While a sizeable number of Texans believe that voter fraud occurred last November, a majority of Texans don’t agree,” Hobby School founding dean and former state senator Kirk P. Watson said. “We can and should build on that foundation of trust in our elections through education and potential reforms that protect election integrity without resulting in voter suppression.”
The majority of U.S. court cases alleging fraud in the Presidential election were thrown out. But, Republicans, like Senator Ted Cruz, of Texas, have maintained that the Presidential election proved that the U.S. election system needs a thorough review.
“This difference in opinion over the security of our elections is consistent with what we’re seeing nationally,” said Renée Cross, senior director of the Hobby School. “Even though there have been multiple audits, recounts and dozens of court cases dismissed, many Republicans insist the election was compromised.”
The Hobby School survey also reviewed support and opposition to the January 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol building. The breach occurred as Congress was certifying Electoral College votes. The survey found that while 83% of Texans oppose the attack on the Capitol, 32% of Republicans, 15% of Independents and 8% of Democrats support the January 6 events.
Mark P. Jones, a Hobby School senior research associate and fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute, points out the significant partisan divide on the issue.
“The proportion of Republicans who either strongly support or somewhat support the storming of the U.S. Capitol is four times the proportion of Democrats and more than double the proportion of Independents who support it,” Jones said.
A deep dive into the numbers shows that 10% of Texans strongly support the protest with another 7% somewhat supporting the actions.
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