Raleigh, N.C.- PPP’s newest North
Carolina poll, conducted over the weekend, finds that only 39% of voters in the
state support the voting/elections law Pat McCrory signed today to 50% who are
opposed to it.
It’s true that voter ID on its own is a popular concept with voters. In
January of 2011 we found 66/27 support for it. But all the other stuff lumped
into the bill along with voter ID is unpopular enough to make the overall bill
a loser in voters’ eyes.
For instance:
-Only 33% of voters in the state support reducing the early voting period by
a week to 59% who are opposed. Independents (28/62) and Democrats (22/70) are
both strongly opposed to that provision.
-Only 21% of voters in the state support eliminating straight party ticket
voting to 68% who are opposed. There’s bipartisan consensus on that issue with
Democrats (70/17) and Republicans (68/22) both thinking that should continue to
be allowed.
The unpopularity of these provisions is enough to make the overall bill
unpopular despite the fact that voters support requiring a photo ID to vote.
White voters only narrowly support the new voting bill (46/44), while African
Americans (16/72) are heavily opposed. Republicans (71%) support the bill but
Democrats (72%) are just as unified in their opposition and independents are
against it by a 49/43 margin as well. And perhaps most foreboding for
Republicans, moderate voters stand against the legislation 70/20.
“Voter ID was one of the few things in the Republican legislative agenda
that actually was popular,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy
Polling. “But all the other stuff the GOP added into the bill has managed to
make this issue a losing one for them too.”
PPP surveyed 600
registered voters between August 8-11, 2013. The margin of error was +/- 4.0%. This
poll was not authorized or paid for by any campaign or political organization.
PPP’s surveys are conducted through automated telephone interviews.
Topline results are below. Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.
Q1 Do you support or oppose the bill the
legislature passed that shortened early voting
by a week, eliminated same-day voter
registration, required a photo ID to vote,
eliminated straight-party-ticket voting, and
allowed voters to be challenged by any
registered voter of the county in which they
vote rather than just their precinct?
Support ……………… .39%
Oppose ……………… .50%
Not sure …………….. .11%
Q2 In the last presidential election, did you vote for
Barack Obama or Mitt Romney?
Barack Obama………………………………………… 45%
Mitt Romney……………………………………………. 49%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 6%
Q3 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 10%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 16%
Moderate………………………………………………… 32%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 23%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 19%
Q4 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 51%
Man……………………………………………………….. 49%
Q5 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican,
press 2. If you are an independent or identify
with another party, press 3.
Democrat ……………………………………………….. 43%
Republican……………………………………………… 34%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 23%
Q6 If you are white, press 1. If African-American,
press 2. If other, press 3.
White …………………………………………………….. 75%
African-American …………………………………….. 19%
Other……………………………………………………… 6%
Q7 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to
45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are
older than 65, press 4.
18 to 29………………………………………………….. 12%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 26%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 41%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 20%
Q8 Area Code
252………………………………………………………… 11%
336………………………………………………………… 22%
704………………………………………………………… 20%
828………………………………………………………… 16%
910………………………………………………………… 12%
919………………………………………………………… 20%