Texas voters split evenly on fraud prevention vs. voter access issues
Texas voters split evenly on fraud prevention vs. voter access issues
Mateo Rosiles, USA TODAY NETWORKTue, June 2, 2026 at 3:38 PM UTC
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Texas is split down the middle on which issue should take priority — stopping voter fraud or preventing eligible citizens from being turned away at the ballot box — as a poll shows the split is not a sign of moderation but of deep partisan polarization.
The divide comes as Texans head into the November General Election, which includes a hotly contested U.S. Senate race and a governor's race between Democratic and Republican candidates.
The new poll from the Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center at Texas Southern University surveyed 1,706 Texas registered voters, with Republicans accounting for 47% and Democrats 38%, each siding with their party's perception on the matters.
Independents, who accounted for 13%, were the source of the split.
Here's a quick breakdown of what the June poll found.
Voters walk into the Officer David Ortiz Recreation Center polling site during the 2026 Texas primary runoff election on May 26, 2026, in El Paso.Most Texas GOP believe voter fraud is a problem; most Democrats don't
The voters were asked, "In United States elections do you believe there is: a great deal of voter fraud, some voter fraud, very little voter fraud, or no voter fraud?"
About 24% of Texas registered voters believe there is a great deal of voter fraud in United States elections, with 35% believing there is some voter fraud, 30% believing there is very little voter fraud, and 11% believing there is no voter fraud.
When looking at political party identities, the poll found that 83% of Texas Republicans believe there is either a great deal or some voter fraud in U.S. elections. While 70% of Texas Democrats believe there is either very little or no voter fraud in U.S. elections.
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For independents, they are split almost evenly on the topic, 54% believe there is a great deal or some voter fraud in U.S. elections, while 46% believe there is either very little or no voter fraud in U.S. elections.
“Vote Here” signs point to the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse polling site during the 2026 Texas primary runoff election Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in El Paso.Texans split on whether to prioritize fraud prevention or voter access
The poll asked which of the following is more important: “That we do everything possible to stop voter fraud and illegal immigrants from voting” or “That eligible citizens aren’t denied the ability to vote.”
It found that exactly 50% believe election integrity should be prioritized and exactly one-half (50%) believe that ballot access should be prioritized.
Broken down by political ideology, 80% of Republicans thought election integrity was more important, and 88% of Democrats thought the same about ballot access.
Independents again split in half, with 48% believing election integrity should take priority, while 52% thought ballot access should.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas poll shows partisan split on voter fraud, ballot access
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