Election Deniers Make Up One-Third of Congress, One Year Out from Congressional Certification of 2024

Published January 5, 2024

Washington, D.C. — One year ahead of congressional certification of the 2024 presidential election, States United Action today launched a new tracker on ElectionDeniers.org that finds Election Deniers make up almost one-third of Congress. With the vast majority of Congress up for re-election this year, the group will also add congressional candidate tracking ahead of the November general election.

“For many voters, the most important office on their ballot this year isn’t president—it’s Congress. That’s because when it comes to choosing the people who will certify the election, every single state is in play,” said Joanna Lydgate, CEO of States United Action. “We’ve already seen what it looks like when members of Congress try to overturn the results, and the election denial movement continues to run rampant through the halls of the Capitol. Voters across the country have to decide this year whether they trust Election Deniers with their votes.”

States United also released new polling data on Election Deniers in Congress, including voters’ support for re-electing members who refused to certify the 2020 election.

Key Takeaways

• There are 171 Election Deniers in Congress, making up almost one-third of the body.
  • This includes 127 members of Congress still in office who previously refused to vote to certify 2020 election results.
• Election Denier members of Congress represent voters in 36 states—almost three-quarters of the country.
  • When no presidential candidate gets a majority of electoral votes, the House of Representatives chooses the president. Each state delegation gets one vote.
• 25 Election Deniers in 19 states currently hold a statewide office with election oversight.
• A plurality of Americans (42%) said they would be less likely to re-elect a member of Congress who refused to certify the 2020 election results—nearly two times higher than the share who would be more likely. And Independents are 2.5 times more likely to say they won’t support a member of Congress who refused to certify 2020.
• While voters know that state and local officials run elections, 60% believe that Congress plays a significant role in election administration too.

“The data makes it clear: If members of Congress won’t do their jobs and follow the will of the people, voters don’t want to re-elect them. And that makes sense. If your member of Congress won’t respect your vote, how do you know they’ll respect your concerns as a constituent?” said Thania Sanchez, Senior Vice President of Research and Policy Development at States United Action. “When Americans understand the stakes, they choose democracy. We’re creating this road map so voters know whether they can trust their member of Congress with their vote.”

ElectionDeniers.org offers a full picture of the Election Denier movement in Congress and beyond, including where Election Deniers have power over elections; candidates who are running for president and the statewide offices with election oversight power; state legislative proposals to change how elections are run; presidential campaign fundraising data; and historical voter turnout data.

States United Action started tracking the Election Denier movement in 2022 through our Replacing the Refs tool, shining a spotlight on the Election Deniers running for statewide offices that run, oversee, and protect our elections: governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. This work continued in 2023 and has expanded into ElectionDeniers.org.

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About States United Action

States United Action is a nonpartisan section 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization with a mission to protect our elections and our democracy. States United Action advocates for policies that protect election integrity, hold democracy violators accountable, and prevent political violence that threatens to undermine the will of the American people, and amplifies the voices of state leaders and law enforcement leaders who share these values.