© 2026 ABC News

\"There are candidates running for every level of office in America ... who won't commit to accepting the results of the elections that they're running in,\" he said. \"This is the path to chaos in America. It's unprecedented. It's unlawful. And it's un-American.\"

Biden also addressed vote tallies, trying to temper Election Day expectations by reminding the public that it may take a few days before full results are announced.

More than 28 million people have voted early in the 2022 general election, according to data analyzed by the University of Florida's U.S. Elections Project.

\"It takes time to count all legitimate ballots in a legal and orderly manner,\" he said.

\"PHOTO:
Alex Brandon/AP
PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks about threats to democracy ahead of next week's midterm elections at the Columbus Club in Union Station, near the U.S. Capitol. Nov. 2, 2022.
>

The speech came just six days out from the Nov. 8 elections, where Democrats are defending their slim majorities in Congress.

Forecasts from FiveThirtyEight point to a potential Republican takeover of the House, while the Senate is in flux.

Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Barack Obama and other political heavyweights have been hitting the campaign trial these final days to shore up voter enthusiasm in contentious races across the country.

Biden's hoped to cast the 2022 cycle not as a referendum on his presidency but as a choice between Democrats and \"MAGA Republicans\" who he describes as extremists that threaten rights to abortion, privacy and same-sex marriage.

\"I appeal to all Americans, regardless of party, to meet this moment of national and generational importance,\" Biden said. \"We must vote, knowing what's at stake and not just the policy of the moment.\"

But polling has shown kitchen-table issues are top of mind for a majority of voters. The latest survey from ABC News and Ipsos found 26% of Americans identify the economy as their single most important issue determining their vote while 23% cite inflation.

\"People are worried about disorder. And whenever there's disorder -- in this case in crime and economic news -- they tend to vote for the opposition,\" Hank Sheinkopf, a longtime Democratic strategist, told ABC News.

Sheinkopf said it's \"hard to imagine\" Biden's message on democracy will move the needle before next week's elections.

\"[Biden] has to show that he is a unifier at a time of great division, but is it really going to move voters?\" Sheinkopf questioned.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Politics/biden-speak-protecting-democracy-midterms-enter-final-stage/story?id=92547440","legacySlug":"/news/story/biden-speak-protecting-democracy-midterms-enter-final-stage-92547440","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"23:28","publishDate":"11-02-2022","updatedTime":"17:32","updatedDate":"09-25-2023","socialImage":{"alt":"President Joe Biden speaks about threats to democracy ahead of next week's midterm elections at the Columbus Club in Union Station, near the U.S. Capitol. Nov. 2, 2022.","credit":"Alex Brandon/AP","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/International/election-president-joe-biden-01-ap-llr-221102_1667431121945_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"11/2/2022 23:28:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":92547440,"headline":"Biden warns democracy is 'under attack'","mediaAssetTitle":"BIDEN/MIDTERMS/THREAT TO DEMOCRACY","description":"Biden said Americans must settle differences \"peacefully at the ballot box.\"","duration":"3:40","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2022/11/221102_vod_biden_speech_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132306053","132266872","132055565"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 23, 2026","headline":"Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","section":"News","slug":"/video/132306053","id":"132306053","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 22, 2026","headline":"Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","section":"News","slug":"/video/132266872","id":"132266872","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 15, 2026","headline":"American influencer found dead in Tanzania","section":"News","slug":"/video/132055565","id":"132055565","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Biden warns democracy is 'under attack'","description":"Biden said Americans must settle differences \"peacefully at the ballot box.\"","duration":"3:40","uploadDate":"11-02-2022","publication":"11-02-2022","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2022/11/221102_vod_biden_speech_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2022/11/221102_vod_biden_speech_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/biden-speak-protecting-democracy-midterms-enter-final-stage-92547440"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Biden warns democracy is 'under attack'","pubTime":"19:28","pubDate":"11-02-2022","modTime":"13:32","modDate":"09-25-2023","taxonomyTags":"none","id":92547440,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Biden warns democracy is 'under attack'","mediaAssetTitle":"BIDEN/MIDTERMS/THREAT TO DEMOCRACY","videoId":92547440,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/biden-speak-protecting-democracy-midterms-enter-final-stage-92547440"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/92547440","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/92547440","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};