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Wednesday 12 July 2023

GOP confidence in 2024 vote count low after years of false election claims

From Front fidence in elections has Biden’s victory, including
risen in recent years, the several overseen by Re-
By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY opposite is true for Repub- publican lawmakers.
and LINLEY SANDERS licans. Ahead of the 2016 Even so, Trump’s attempts
Associated Press election, 32% of Republi- to explain his loss led to a
Few Republicans have cans were highly confident wave of new laws in GOP-
high confidence that votes votes would be counted dominated states that
will be tallied accurately accurately — a figure that added new voting restric-
in next year’s presidential jumped to 54% two years tions, primarily by restrict-
contest, suggesting years of later after Trump won the ing mail voting and limit-
sustained attacks against presidency. ing or banning ballot drop
elections by former Presi- That confidence level boxes. Across the country,
dent Donald Trump and his dropped to 28% a month conspiracy theories related
allies have taken a toll, ac- before the 2020 election, to voting machines have
cording to a new poll. as Trump signaled to vot- prompted many Republi-
The Associated Press-NORC ers that the voting would can-controlled local gov- President Donald Trump supporters gather with some signs
Center for Public Affairs Re- be rigged, and now sits at ernments to explore ban- claiming a stolen election outside the Philadelphia Convention
search poll finds that only 22% less than 16 months ning machines from tally- Center as they await general election tabulation results, Nov. 6,
22% of Republicans have before the next presiden- ing votes in favor of hand 2020, in Philadelphia.
high confidence that votes tial election. “I just didn’t counts. The AP-NORC poll Associated Press
in the upcoming presiden- like the way the last elec- suggests that the persis- two major parties. a notable shift from a 2018
tial election will be count- tion went,” said Lynn Jack- tent messaging has sunk in “I don’t vote at all,” he said. AP-NORC poll that found
ed accurately compared son, a registered nurse from among a wide swath of the “I think it only adds credibil- just 40% of Democrats were
to 71% of Democrats, un- El Sobrante, California, who American public. ity to the system if you par- confident compared to
derscoring a partisan di- is a registered Republican. The survey found that inde- ticipate.” 53% of Republicans.
vide fueled by a relentless “I have questions about it. pendents — a group that The conspiracy theories Gillian Nevers, a 79-year-
campaign of lies related to I can’t actually say it was has consistently had low about voting machines, old retiree from Madison,
the 2020 presidential elec- stolen -- only God knows confidence in elections — promoted through forums Wisconsin, has worked as
tion. Even as he runs for the that.” Trump’s claims were were also largely skeptical held around the country, a poll worker and said she
White House a third time, rejected by dozens of judg- about the integrity of the also have taken a toll on has confidence -- based
Trump continues to pro- es, including several he ap- 2024 elections. Just 24% confidence among Repub- on her experiences -- in the
mote the false claim that pointed. His own attorney have the highest levels of licans even though there people who oversee elec-
the election was stolen. general and an exhaustive confidence that the votes is no evidence to support tions.
Overall, the survey finds review by The Associated will be counted accurately. them. About four in 10 U.S. “I have never seen any
that fewer than half of Press found no evidence Chris Ruff, a 46-year-old adults are highly confident shenanigans,” said Nev-
Americans – 44% — have of widespread fraud that unaffiliated voter from San- that scanning paper ballots ers, who votes Democratic.
“a great deal” or “quite a could have changed the ford, North Carolina, said into a machine provides “The claims are unfounded
bit” of confidence that the results. Multiple reviews, he lost faith in elections accurate counts. Demo- and ridiculous. Because
votes in the next presiden- audits and recounts in the years ago, believing they crats are about twice as they are being so widely
tial election will be count- battleground states where are rigged to favor certain confident in the process as projected, I think they have
ed accurately. Trump disputed his loss candidates. He also sees Republicans —63% com- a lot of people worried who
While Democrats’ con- confirmed Democrat Joe no difference between the pared to 29%. That marks I don’t think should be.” q

U.S. formally rejoins UNESCO after five-year absence

ership gap since the U.S. that it would apply to rejoin voted to include Palestine
withdrew during the Trump the 193-member organi- as a member state in 2011.
administration. UNESCO’s zation that plays a major The Biden administration
governing board voted last role in setting international has requested $150 million
week to approve the Biden standards for artificial intelli- for the 2024 budget to go
administration’s proposal gence and technology ed- toward UNESCO dues and
for the U.S. to rejoin. ucation. The U.S. is now the arrears. The plan foresees
On Monday, the U.S. de- 194th member of UNESCO. similar requests for the ensu-
livered a document certi- “Our organization is once ing years until the full debt
fying it would accept the again moving towards of $619 million is paid off.
invitation. On Tuesday, universality,” Azoulay said. That makes up a big chunk
UNESCO’s Director General She called the return of of UNESCO’s $534 million
Audrey Azoulay said it was the United States “excel- annual operating budget.
official. A welcome cer- lent news for multilateralism Before leaving, the U.S.
emony with a flag-raising as a whole. If we want to contributed 22% of the
The logo of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and and VIP guests is expected meet the challenges of our agency’s overall funding.
Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is seen during the 39th session in late July. century, there can only be The United States previ-
of the General Conference at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, “This is excellent news for a collective response.” ously pulled out of UNESCO
Nov. 4, 2017. UNESCO. The momentum The Trump administration in under the Reagan admin-
Associated Press we have regained in re- 2017 announced that the istration in 1984 because
By MATTHEW LEE cultural organization after cent years will now contin- U.S. would withdraw from it viewed the agency as
AP Diplomatic Writer a five-year absence. ue to grow. Our initiatives UNESCO, citing anti-Israel mismanaged, corrupt and
WASHINGTON (AP) — The The U.S. return to the Paris- will be stronger throughout bias. That decision that used to advance Soviet
United States on Tuesday based UNESCO was based the world,” Azoulay said. took effect a year later. interests. It rejoined in 2003
formally rejoined the U.N.’s mainly on concerns that The Biden administration The U.S. and Israel stopped during George W. Bush’s
scientific, educational and China has filled a lead- had announced last month financing UNESCO after it presidency.q