The results of an election summarize the voting totals for a given race. Election results are not final until the entire ballot counting process is complete and the state’s chief election official certifies those results. This includes reviewing informal results reported on election night and in the days afterward and adding any verified provisional or mail-in ballots.
A healthy democracy is based on citizens’ belief that elections are fair. If people doubt the integrity of democratic elections, they are less likely to vote and to engage in other civic activities like attending peaceful protests or discussing politics. And the consequences of this distrust extend well beyond the individual, with effects on society at large.
As scholars of democracy and electoral psychology, we are concerned that the current climate of political polarization may lead voters to incorrectly question the accuracy of the 2022 election results. This is a dangerous development for the country and for democracy, because those who support losing candidates are most susceptible to these misperceptions.
The findings of our recent study suggest that the magnitude of this effect may depend on how individualized the loss feels, as well as the degree to which the loss threatens one’s social cohesion or the presence of stigmatizing information about the candidate that lost. Our research also indicates that community-level avenues of support (such as a faith-based community or social networks) may be useful in mitigating these psychological responses. These observations point to a range of new directions for future studies of elections, including their impact on societal outcomes such as suicide rates.
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