Press ReleasesInsurrection Index

Public Wise, Change Research Poll Shows Vast Majority of Americans Want January 6 Insurrectionists Held Accountable

03.14.2022
Poll shows majority of respondents believe elected officials who voted against certification of the 2020 election should not remain in office

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Addie Bullock
Mila Jasper

WASHINGTON, D.C.  — New polling from Public Wise, a voting rights organization working to secure a democracy that reflects the will and protect the rights of the people, found that nearly 78.1% of respondents believe that accountability for January 6 insurrectionists is important, a 5.3% increase from October 2021. The poll also found that 21.9% of respondents said it wasn’t important. The survey was conducted in partnership with Change Research in early February of this year.

“These data demonstrate that more and more Americans agree there should be legal consequences for those who planned, organized and executed the actions at the U.S Capitol on January 6th ,”said Dr. Jessica Kalbfeld, Research Director of Public Wise.

“With the 2022 midterms approaching, the results of this poll should serve as a stark warning for any insurrectionist considering a run for public office,” said Christina Baal-Owens, Executive Director of Public Wise. “The American people have not forgotten about those individuals who sought to dismantle our democracy by force. The American people want justice.”

More than half, or 51.8%, of respondents said elected officials who voted against certifying the election should not remain in office, a 3% increase compared to the October poll. One hundred and forty-seven Republican lawmakers voted to overturn the results of the 2020 election, 144 of whom are still in office.

The February 2022 poll follows an October 2021 survey from Public Wise and Change which found that 72.8% of respondents thought it was important to hold January 6 participants accountable, while 2.5% said they weren’t sure and 24.8% said they did not think it was too important.