Most in new survey wouldn’t back candidate convicted of crime, or over 80 years old

by Lauren Irwin - 01/26/24 6:42 PM ET

In this combination of photos, President Joe Biden speaks on Aug. 10, 2023, in Salt Lake City, left, and former President Donald Trump speaks on July 8, 2023, in Las Vegas. Trump is spending the third anniversary of a mob of his supporters overrunning the U.S. Capitol by campaigning to win back the White House. He has two events in Iowa and repeating lies that seek to reframe how the country remembers the deadly insurrection. Biden is marking the same milestone on Saturday in Philadelphia, where he’ll brand Trump and top supporters of his “Make America Great Again” movement as dire threats to American democracy.(AP Photo)

Most Americans say they would not back a candidate who has been convicted of a felony crime or a candidate who is over the age of 80, a new Gallup survey found.

The survey asked voters their thoughts on voting for a person based on different characteristics and qualifications, even if the party of their choosing nominated them as a presidential candidate.

Sixty-six percent of respondents said they would not support a candidate who has been charged with a felony crime, and 70 percent said they would not support a candidate who has been convicted of a felony crime, the survey found.

Similarly, 66 percent of respondents said they would not vote for a candidate who is over the age of 80.

Gallup specifically chose the age qualifier to include in the survey because President Biden, the likely nominee for the Democratic Party, is currently 81 and would be 86 by the end of a second term.

The survey showed that voters are less opposed to a candidate who is above the age of 70. Thirty-five percent said they would not support a candidate who is older than 70, while 63 percent said they would.

Former President Donald Trump is currently 77.

Gallup also asked felony questions in the survey because they pertain to Trump, “who currently faced 91 felony counts in four separate criminal cases, some of which could be decided before Election Day.”

The survey results showed that as it stands, where Biden and Trump are the likely nominees for their respective parties, voters will face a choice between “two of the most objectional characteristics” measured in the poll.

The survey showed that even though voters in each party have concerns over certain characteristics of a candidate, in today’s highly polarized environment “partisanship may very well quash” the concerns.

Gallup found Democrats were less likely to say they opposed voting for a candidate over 80, likely because of Biden’s reelection efforts. Similarly, Republicans were less likely to say they opposed a candidate who has criminal convictions, likely because of Trump’s ongoing legal woes.

The survey was based on a poll conducted Jan. 2-22.