Millsaps College and Chism Strategies issued the following press release.
Mississippians are
deeply concerned about the coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is
having on their health and safety as well as the economy and their
communities. The spring quarterly Millsaps College/Chism Strategies
State of the State Survey finds nearly 90% of Mississippi voters are
very or somewhat concerned with the pandemic and the possibility of
themselves or someone in their family becoming ill.
The survey finds Mississippians have seen their lives significantly
disrupted by the pandemic, with 83% reporting being somewhat or
significantly disrupted while nearly three-quarters are practicing 100%
compliance with social distancing and stay-at-home restrictions.
Overall, Mississippi
voters tend to believe the federal, state and local governmental
response to the coronavirus outbreak has been handled in a way that
protects the health and safety of citizens. The survey
finds voters approve of the federal government’s response 62% to 34%,
approve of the state government’s response 64% to 33%, and the response
of their local governments 66% to 31%.
Health and economic
security remain high priorities for voters, as 73% believe the
coronavirus outbreak will lead to an economic recession. Mississippians
are also fretting about being able to afford medical
coverage for themselves and their families during the outbreak, with
nearly 70% saying they are considerably or slightly more concerned with
affording medical coverage.
“The coronavirus
pandemic is a global crisis and our fellow Mississippians are feeling
the impact on their families, communities, the workplace, schools and
places of worship. We felt it was extremely valuable
to dedicate most of this quarter’s survey to examining how
Mississippians are responding to the pandemic,” said Dr. Nathan R.
Shrader, chair of the Millsaps College Department of Government and
Politics and director of the American Studies program. “On the
whole, we have found our fellow citizens are deeply troubled, and we
are hopeful Mississippi’s policymakers will benefit from understanding
the pandemic’s effect on the Magnolia State and her people.”
The newest quarterly
State of the State Survey also examines voter preferences heading into
the 2020 presidential election. Overall, 49% of Mississippi voters
intend to back President Donald J. Trump, 38%
back former Vice President Joe Biden, 7% favor someone else and 7% are
unsure at this time. Over 70% of voters are concerned about disruptions
in the upcoming November elections due to the outbreak and the
electorate strongly favors transitioning to a vote-by-mail
system for November. 54% support moving to vote-by-mail while just 30%
are opposed.
Other Key Findings:
- 47% believe the state is heading in the right direction, 30% say it is moving in the wrong direction and 23% are unsure.
- Making healthcare more accessible is the top priority for voters at this time, with 27% saying this is what they would like to see Mississippi’s elected leaders working on in Jackson. 19% say their top priority is more funding for public schools, 16% back fixing our state’s roads and bridges, 16% favor protecting traditional family values, 4% support increasing funding for universities and colleges and 3% back reducing the size of state government.
- The Mississippi Legislature—currently on hiatus from Session due to the coronavirus outbreak—is underwater with the voters. 39% disapprove of legislators’ performance, 26% approve and another 35% are unsure.
- A plurality of voters (45%) say the Mississippi state government has responded appropriately to the pandemic, 42% say the state has not gone far enough to respond and 8% believe state government has gone too far.
“We
are now in our third year of partnership with the Millsaps College
Department of Government and Politics on this State of the State
Survey and are gratified that elected officials, journalists, and other
people who care about the future of our state rely on this research to
help shape public policy discussions,” said Brad Chism of Chism
Strategies. “This survey confirms the massive impact
of the COVID-19 pandemic on the citizens of our state.”
The
survey was conducted from April 8-9, 2020 with a sample size of 508,
with 53% of interviews conducted via cell phone and 48% via landline.
The survey has a Margin of Error of +/-4.35%. Results were weighted to
reflect voter turnout for the 2020 Mississippi elections.
Founded in
Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal
arts college dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free
expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation
and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural
progress of our region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in
higher education, Millsaps has been praised by
Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, The John Templeton Foundation
and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
6 comments:
i mean, how reliable can this be when almost 50% of the survey was conducted via landlines. So essentially.....50% of the survey was with citizens over the age of 65.
The big question is will Millsaps College and others still be standing when this disease is over. Not good.
Fire everyone at MDES. They were worthless before the pandemic, and more so present day.
Yes, I am currently employed.
Trump's DEATH PANELS seem much more determined to get us BOOMERs out of their way than Obama's. But just look what they would have to gain if they allow the "ghetto flu" and the "nursing home flu" to go unhindered. All those Social Security IOUs can be trashed and the entitlement programs would be greatly reduced. And of course there is the inheritance that prompts quite a few to join the DEATH PANELs.
Funny thing is do these DEATH PANEL enlistees not realize that the POTUS wouldn't be in office if not for the votes of BOOMERs? And if they die en masse the sudden appearance of middle class homes for sale would throw the real estate market into a depression to compound the ongoing virus dilemma.
Besides, does no one consider that the "good ole days" that everyone looks back at fondly was the time following WWII when the world was in ruin and this country's war debt was astronomical yet the post war era GI Bill and massive infrastructure investment paid for with income taxes up to 90% made this country the wealthiest country on earth. When this pandemic is over Europe and the Pacific won't be in ashes but all that allowed this country to become what it was in the "good ole days" will be here to repeat that renaisance. Buy some Pandemic Bonds and quit your bellyaching.
Save for Tate closing down the Rez, the largest body of water in Mississippi, I'm good with the closures thus far.
Another utterly useless Millsaps poll. When will they ask whether or not people are pleased with the potholes on State Street.
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