Poll: 3 in 4 worry foreign government could tamper with US election

An overwhelming majority of Americans in a new poll say they are concerned that a foreign government could tamper with the 2020 presidential election.

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey released Thursday showed 77 percent of respondents said they are concerned about tampering.

More registered Democrats (88 percent) are concerned about election interference than Republicans (65 percent), according to the survey. 

Pollsters noted that more than 90 percent of Democrats said they believe foreign governments could influence how Americans feel about candidates, compared to 62 percent of Republicans. 

The survey also showed more than 90 percent of Democrats are concerned about foreign governments stealing information from candidates or parties, as are 63 percent of Republicans. 

The poll of 1,074 adults, which was conducted Feb. 13–16, has a margin of error of 4.2 percentage points.

It was reported last week that the House Intelligence Committee was briefed on Russian attempts to interfere in the 2020 election.  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) later said he had been briefed on similar attempts to meddle in the elections, with The Washington Post reporting the Kremlin has sought to help his White House bid.

In 2016, the House and Senate Intelligence committees determined that Russian intelligence agencies hacked the Democratic National Committee’s server in an effort to meddle in the presidential election. Twelve members of a Russian intelligence agency were indicted on federal charges in relation to the hack.