A new national survey shows strong public backing for requiring photo identification in federal elections and highlights broad concerns about election integrity, trust in counting, and who should run elections. The data arrived after President Donald Trump urged lawmakers to back the SAVE America Act, and it underscores why voter ID remains a central issue for many voters. This piece walks through the poll’s headline numbers, the partisan divides, views on mail-in ballots, and what voters say about state versus federal control of elections. It also summarizes how the survey was conducted and what the margin of error looks like.
The headline is clear: roughly eight in ten registered voters favor photo ID to register and to cast ballots. Support clocks in at around 83 percent for ID to register and 77 percent for ID to vote, numbers that have stayed high for years. That kind of consistent backing explains why Republican leaders keep pushing voter ID as common-sense reform. It also explains why the issue keeps coming up in Washington despite congressional gridlock.
President Donald Trump used a primetime moment to press Americans to contact lawmakers and back the SAVE America Act, arguing it would shore up weak spots in the election system. The bill passed the House in February and now sits stalled in the Senate, where it faces delay and debate. For voters who prioritize election integrity, the delay looks like a failure to act on reforms with clear popular support. Momentum among voters often outpaces action in Congress.
“It’s a testament to gridlock and partisan polarization that no one seems capable of crafting a legislative compromise that can win passage of a bill featuring policies where large majorities support them,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson.
Support for voter ID cuts across groups, although intensity differs by party. Nearly all Republicans favor mandatory ID, roughly 95 to 96 percent, while independents line up at about 83 percent for registration ID and 77 percent for voting ID. Democrats show solid backing too, with 72 percent favoring ID to register and 62 percent for ID to vote, meaning majorities across parties want this requirement.
Demographic breakdowns show similar trends: Hispanic voters back ID requirements at high rates and younger voters under 30 are also largely in favor. Those figures matter because they challenge the narrative that voter ID is narrow or partisan. When large shares of diverse groups say they want an ID requirement, it becomes a broader public issue rather than just a party talking point.
On mail-in voting, voters remain split but many support the option. About two-thirds of respondents overall favor universal mail-in ballots, a level of support that has held steady. Party lines are clear: Democrats overwhelmingly back mail-in voting, independents mostly support it, and a substantial portion of Republicans oppose it, reflecting ongoing debates over convenience versus confidence.
Confidence in the accuracy of mail-in ballots is more fractured. Just over half of voters say they trust these ballots will be counted correctly, while nearly half do not. Democrats tend to be confident in the accuracy, while a majority of Republicans and a fair share of independents remain skeptical, which fuels calls for stronger verification like photo ID.
Voters also prefer state control over federal control of elections by a wide margin, with roughly two-thirds saying state governments should handle elections. That sentiment shows up across party lines and feeds the argument that states know their voters best and should set rules. It also aligns with the view that election administration can be tailored to local needs while still protecting integrity.
Practical questions about ballot handling get similar attention. Around seven in ten voters support counting ballots that are postmarked by Election Day even if they arrive later, a policy backed by many Democrats and independents but opposed by a significant share of Republicans. The Supreme Court recently left in place a ruling allowing late mail-in ballots to be counted under specific state rules, which keeps the issue alive politically and legally.
The survey ran July 17 to July 20, 2026, and interviewed 1,003 registered voters drawn randomly from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines and cell phones or completed the survey online after a text, and the overall margin of sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points. The poll included an oversample of younger voters to sharpen estimates for that group, and the report notes that subgroup margins of error are larger. Weights were applied to align the sample with registered voter demographics.
