Most in new poll support legal action against elected officials who attempt to overturn election results

The majority of Americans said that the Department of Justice (DOJ) should bring legal action against officials who mislead the public about the outcome of an election, according to a new poll from Morning Consult and Politico. 

The poll showed that 42 percent of respondents “definitely” thought the DOJ should bring legal action against elected officials involved in misleading Americans, and 21 percent thought legal action should “probably” happen. 

Sixteen percent said such legal action should “probably not” happen and 10 percent said it should “definitely not” happen. Eleven percent said they did not know or had no opinion. 

The survey also indicated that 52 percent of respondents thought that an elected official’s attempt to overturn election results was “definitely” a crime. Another 17 percent said it was “probably” a crime. 

Meanwhile, 11 percent said it was “probably not” a crime, 9 percent said it was “definitely not” a crime and another 11 percent did not know or had no opinion.

The poll results come as public hearings continue surrounding the work of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. 

In a daytime hearing on Monday, the committee made its case that then-President Trump was well aware the claims he was making about election fraud were false, highlighting testimony from advisers and former Attorney General William Barr recalling conversations in which they made that very point.

The committee has also promised to show how Trump’s peddling of the “Big Lie” that the election was stolen motivated the rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in an effort to block the certification of President Biden’s election victory.

The poll also asked respondents whether the DOJ should take action against “elected officials who have claimed that presidential elections are fraudulent without evidence” — 38 percent said the Justice Department should “definitely” take legal action and 17 percent said such action should “probably” happen.

The poll included 2,005 registered voters and was conducted between June 10 and June 12. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.