A poll surveying voters in ten diverse states shows that voters support policies to ensure accessible elections and a desire for more state investment to ensure people are economically secure.
The poll, covering Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas, was commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) and conducted by TargetSmart.
From the SiX story, here are the top-line conclusions. Below that are the detailed breakouts and results. We’ve included a link to the complete report.
(Editor’s note: I highly encourage you to read the detailed results section. It has important and sometimes surprising results that are not in the top-line summary.)
Top-line conclusions under democracy, health and the economy
Democracy
Voters support steps to ensure safe and accessible elections
Voters in the ten states overwhelmingly believe that the state government has a role to play in safely and fairly administering elections (91%). States strongly support policies to ensure the election is safe and accessible for all eligible voters:
- Open additional polling locations to reduce crowds and lines (86%);
- Lengthen the window for early voting and allow voters to cast ballots in person up through the day before Election Day (82%);
- Allow any registered voter to vote by mail (76%); and
- Mail all registered voters applications to vote-by-mail (62%).
Voters are concerned about USPS and having their vote counted
The politicization of Vote by Mail and the partisan attacks on the United States Postal Service have eroded faith in the ability to have mail-in ballots count. The poll shows that half of all voters are concerned that the mail system in their state cannot be relied upon to get vote-by-mail ballots to election officials in time to be counted in the election. This concern is higher among Black voters (60%) and Latinx voters (53%).
Voters want state government to remove racial barriers to voting
Nearly 7-in-10 voters across the target states also indicate that they believe state government should play an active role in acknowledging and addressing systemic racism (68%). Accordingly, two-thirds of voters across these target states believe their state government should reduce barriers that prevent Black people from voting (65%).
Health and the economy
Voters concerned about health and safety, want protections and investment
By a three-to-one margin, voters want their state government to invest in residents to ensure they are safe, healthy, and economically secure (60%) rather than lowering taxes and cutting funds to services like education, infrastructure, and unemployment insurance (19%). Voters also believe the state government should address economic barriers faced by Black Americans (57%).
A majority of voters side with workplace safety requirements (55%) over liability protections for corporations (26%).
Respondents support expanding unemployment insurance and other economic policies
Nearly three in five voters support extending the length of time that workers can receive expanded unemployment benefits. Support for this policy is particularly high among Black voters (84%) and voters under 50 (67%). Voters also strongly supported policies that would provide immediate pocketbook relief for many, including:
- Providing low-interest loans to small businesses to help them make it through the crisis (93%);
- Banning surprise medical bills (89%);
- Extending the grace period for people to pay health insurance bills before their coverage can be canceled (88%);
- Limiting what drug companies can charge for prescription drugs (87%);
- Offering people the option to buy into the same public health insurance plans that are available to state employees if they want to (87%);
- Creating an insurance plan to provide paid family and medical leave for employees (80%); and
- Requiring workplaces to provide paid sick days to their employees (79%).
Detailed questions and results
Issue Environment and the Role of State Government
- Voters highly pessimistic about direction of the country, with 67% believing it is on the wrong track.
- Majority of voters (55%) believe the worst of the coronavirus outbreak is yet to come.
- Voters rated these as top responsibilities for state governments
- Safely and fairly administering elections (91%)
- Ensuring equal access to high-quality K through 12 public education (86%)
- Stopping the spread of the coronavirus (85%)
- Ensuring struggling families and children have access to food (83%)
- Ensuring equal pay for equal work (79%)
- Ensuring access to affordable health care (77%)
- Ensuring workers have access to paid sick days and paid sick leave (71%)
- Ensuring access to affordable housing (70%)
- Acknowledging and addressing systemic racism (68%)
- Ensuring access to affordable childcare (67%)
- Reducing income inequality by raising the minimum wage and increasing taxes on the wealthy (63%)
- A majority of voters (54%) in the ten states say their feelings have changed about how Black people and communities are treated in America.
Election and Democracy Reforms
- About one-third of the voters surveyed believe the election will not be run well, with voters of color even less likely to believe it will be run well.
- Vote-by-mail and early in-person voting both popular in states where offered.
- Two-in-three voters want barriers that prevent Black people from voting removed.
- About half of all voters (60% of Black voters) are concerned that the postal service cannot be relied upon to get vote-by-mail ballots to election officials in time for them to be counted.
- Reforms to make voting more accessible during the pandemic are broadly popular; voters oppose consolidating polling locations.
- Ballot tracking is important to 84% of voters, with 24% calling it “very important.”
- 88% of voters think it is important for election officials to notify them if there is something wrong with their mail-in ballot.
Fiscal Policy and the Economy
- Majorities of voters in each state prefer more state investments instead of tax cuts, with conservative Republicans divided on the question.
- Women, younger voters, and voters of color strongly want more investment.
- A strong majority of voters want businesses required to provide safe working conditions, and want businesses penalized if workers get sick due to corporate negligence.
- A majority of voters want state government to address economic barriers Black people and communities face.
- Voters ranked their support for proposals related to the coronavirus.
- Provide low-interest loans to small businesses to help them make it through the crisis. (93%)
- Ban the practice of surprise medical billing. (89%)
- Extend a grace period for people to pay health insurance bills before their coverage is cancelled. (88%)
- Limit what drug companies can charge for prescription drugs. (87%)
- Offer people the option to buy into the same public health insurance plans that are available to state employees. (87%)
- Create an insurance plan to provide paid family and medical leave for employees to care for a sick family member, bond with a new baby, or recover from a major illness or surgery. (80%)
- Require workplaces to provide paid sick days to their employees. (79%)
- Eliminate tax breaks for corporations and large businesses that don’t offer paid sick and family leave and health care to their employees. (74%)
- Expand a tax credit to provide extra income to working people with low incomes. (73%)
- 85% of voters oppose allowing businesses to stop paying more for overtime.
- 84% of voters oppose allowing businesses to pay less than the minimum wage.
- Three-in-five voters support extending the length of time laid-off workers can receive unemployment benefits.
- An array of ways to raise revenue are supported or opposed by voters:
- Close corporate tax loopholes. (87%)
- Increase taxes and financial penalties on companies that pollute our state’s air and water. (85%)
- Increase taxes on the wealthiest individuals in our state. (73%)
- Increase taxes on those making over $250,000. (71%)
- Create a carbon tax paid by companies based on how much carbon they emit. (69%)
- Increase taxes on profitable corporations in our state. (64%)
- Increase capital gains taxes. (45% support, 55% oppose)
- Apply existing sales taxes to online purchases, including subscription services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. (59% oppose)
- Increase motor vehicle fees and fines for speeding tickets and other moving violations. (61% oppose)
- Apply existing sales tax to services like car repairs, hair cuts, accounting, and legal services. (66% oppose)
- Increase the sales tax. (82% oppose)
Coronavirus
- Over 1-in-3 workers have been laid off or had their hours or pay cut.
- Employment and small business closures are most salient coronavirus concerns, followed by contracting the virus.
- Voters of color are significantly concerned about the virus impacting the election.
- Black voters highly concerned about the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on people of color.
The complete final report: SiX Multi-State Poll: Aggregate Analysis and Findings
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