Majority concerned about Russia’s influence on midterms: poll

A majority of American voters in a new Reuters-Ipsos poll say they are concerned about Russia’s potential influence on the 2022 midterm elections.

The poll found that 52 percent of respondents are concerned about Russian misinformation and propaganda online and Moscow indirectly giving money to campaigns. 

Russia is known for trying to interfere with the elections of Western countries, including the U.S.

Concerns of Russian interference spiked in the wake of its 2016 meddling, which included both misinformation efforts and the hacking of American political groups.

Relations between Washington and Moscow have soured significantly in recent months over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S. has provided billions of dollars in aid and weapons to Ukraine to help them fight off Russian forces. 

Russia has condemned the U.S.’s actions and sanctioned more than 100 U.S. lawmakers and leaders as a result. 

A vast majority of Americans in the poll said they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports sanctions against Russia and aid to Ukraine and its refugees. 

The poll was conducted between April 25 and April 26 among 1,005 adults. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.