Misinformation concerns grow but public confidence in elections remain high
New findings from the Electoral Commission’s annual public opinion tracker show concerns are growing about misinformation and the transparency of political finance, but public confidence in the running of elections remains high.
Satisfaction with the process of voting is at one of the highest levels since tracking began in 2012, with 80% of respondents saying they are satisfied.
However, the impact of misinformation and disinformation is now seen as one of the biggest problems facing elections, with three quarters of the public now saying it is a problem. Concern about media bias has also risen over time, from 62% in 2019 to 72% in 2026.
| Satisfied with the process of voting at elections | Confident that elections are well run | Satisfied with registering to vote | Ease of voting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 73% | |||
| 2011 | 74% | 82% | ||
| 2012 | 67% | 72% | 82% | |
| 2013 | 64% | 61% | 85% | |
| 2014 | 72% | 75% | 79% | |
| 2015 | 70% | 65% | 76% | |
| 2016 | 68% | 66% | 82% | |
| 2017 | 77% | 76% | 78% | |
| 2018 | 77% | 71% | 85% | |
| 2019 | 76% | 69% | 83% | |
| 2020 | 80% | 71% | 86% | |
| 2021 | 86% | 80% | 86% | |
| 2022 | 82% | 74% | 82% | 82% |
| 2023 | 79% | 73% | 79% | 82% |
| 2024 | 80% | 73% | 82% | 77% |
| 2025 | 84% | 79% | 86% | 82% |
Meanwhile, trust in the transparency of political funding remains low at 14%, with only 18% saying it is easy to find information about how political parties are funded. Foreign interference in election results was also seen as a significant risk, with 55% saying it is a problem.
Vijay Rangarajan, Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission, said:
“Voters continue to show strong confidence in how elections are run, but the wider democratic picture is more challenging. People trust the act of voting, yet they are increasingly worried about the information surrounding it.
“A healthy democracy depends on informed participation. Voters need clear, reliable information about elections and confidence that the political finance system is transparent and protected from foreign interference.
“We will continue to provide accurate information about elections and support voters to take part. But addressing rising concerns about misinformation will require action from parties, campaigners, regulators and the UK’s governments.
“That’s why we’ve recommended strengthening the powers of regulators, including the Commission, so they are equipped to deal with future challenges. Introducing a new overarching duty on social media platforms to cover a wider range of risks to elections would also help ensure legitimate political debate is protected during critical election periods.”
The Commission has welcomed the Rycroft Review into countering foreign financial interference in UK politics, including its recommendations to strengthen safeguards in the UK Government’s Representation of the People Bill. We particularly welcome the recommendations to strengthen rules on company donations, extend the Commission’s information gathering powers and support the effective enforcement of offences relating to foreign interference in politics.
Earlier this year, the Commission piloted work to detect political deepfakes and assess their impact at elections. The full findings will be published in the autumn and inform the next phase of its work to strengthen the information environment.
- The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. We work to promote public confidence in the democratic process and ensure its integrity by:
- enabling the delivery of free and fair elections and referendums, focusing on the needs of electors and addressing the changing environment to ensure every vote remains secure and accessible
- regulating political finance – taking proactive steps to increase transparency, ensure compliance and pursue breaches
- using our expertise to make and advocate for changes to our democracy, aiming to improve fairness, transparency and efficiency
- The Commission was set up in 2000 and reports to the UK, Welsh and Scottish Parliaments.
- We provide clear information about how elections work to help people check the facts and have published guidance for voters on identifying false or misleading information, including content generated using AI.
- All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 5,945 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 14 October - 1 December 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 16+).
- This year we changed our approach because we identified that previous survey samples included a higher proportion of people who were more politically engaged than average within the general public. The sampling and weighting approach now reflects the public’s levels of political attention from a face-to-face survey (the British Election Study).
- When drawing comparisons with previous years, we have looked at data weighted back to the previous levels of political engagement in order to be sure that any change mentioned in this analysis is not just a result of the change in sampling.
- Full data for previous years’ tracker surveys are available on our website.