North Carolinians Oppose Voter Bill
Published August 14, 2013
by Public Policy Polling, August 12, 2013.
PPP's newest North Carolina poll, conducted over the weekend, finds that only 39% of voters in the state support the voting/elections law 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.
August 14, 2013 at 10:17 am
Richard Bunce says:
So the part that is the most reviled by the left, voter ID, is popular (and very popular among those that actually elected the State legislature majority) and a very minor issue like straight party voting, only important to party hacks, is unpopular (amongst people who likely do not often vote.) Why don't you waste your time looking for the legal requirement to provide a straight ticket voting option to voters?
August 14, 2013 at 10:14 pm
dj anderson says:
Why does it make me feel better to know I don't agree with the polls? Ever find yourself feeling like that?
Ever find yourself seeing poll results and being thankful the polls don't control us? I do.
Ever find yourself not agreeing with your party's bandwagon position? I do.
Well, then again, for me it comes easy for me on this issue for I support voter ID, don't mind less days of early voting, think straight ticket voting is for the ignorant and/or lazy, and never liked same day registration.
I would support going back to one day to vote. Absentee ballot should require strong reason. I didn't get polled, did you?
August 15, 2013 at 10:18 am
Richard Bunce says:
I don't pay attention to polls much anyway, especially when they do not disclose their non response rate and how specifically they massage the data to "normalize" it to reflect a "representative" sample of what they think the population should be...
August 15, 2013 at 11:21 am
Norm Kelly says:
I'm glad you brought up the same day registration issue again. I've worked the polls, been through Wake County Board of Elections training seminars more than once.
Same day registration is an odd thing. First, the person is NOT registered by the legally set date, so they CAN NOT legally vote on election day. The person coming into the polling place is being lied to by politicians (mostly Democrats) about being able to vote & register at the same time. The non-registered person is required to fill out a provisional ballot with all of their pertinent information on the voter application (not on the ballot of course). The non-registered person is given the impression that once they complete the paperwork their vote will count. Except, since they hadn't bothered to register by the legally set date, they are actually NOT allowed to vote. If the Board of Elections processes this provisional ballot the way the are SUPPOSED to, the registration information is captured so the voter is registered to vote in the NEXT election, and the ballot is shredded.
So what does same day registration going away actually harm. First, the non-registered person is not left with the impression that their vote might count, cuz it don't count! Why do we want to mislead voters like this? Doesn't that cause voter disenfranchisement? (oooops. sorry, if Dems proposed it, passed it, want to maintain it then it can't possibly be disenfranchisement and telling a mistruth!)
Second, it gives some BOE worker the opportunity to play games with provisional ballots. I'm not saying these people are dishonest or trying to change the outcome of elections. It's just that this is another issue that can be avoided, so why not avoid it. What if this provisional ballot is placed in the wrong pile when it's opened, on purpose or by mistake? Then the ballot is counted instead of shredded. Even if it's a mistake, it should not be given the opportunity to happen.
Same day registration is a lie and it's about time it was eliminated. As a poll worker, I was NOT allowed to tell a same-day-register that, by law, their vote could NOT count. I was FORCED to continue the lie and was extremely uncomfortable with this aspect of working the polls. Telling lies is not a way to make people feel more comfortable with the process. Honesty is the best answer in almost every case.
August 15, 2013 at 12:26 am
Norm Kelly says:
I'm not much of a gambler, but I'd be willing to bet that most of the people who responded to this poll would fall into the category of "low information voters". Just a guess, but about 90-95% of the stories about the new voting law comes from the used-to-be-mainstream media, who consistently and constantly tell how racist this law is. Most of what's available says that minorities are going to be disenfranchised and purposely discriminated against. Even the extremely popular voter ID requirement is being demonized by liberals. Somehow people are being convinced that minorities can't manage to vote on their own without some polite, kindly, liberal/Democrat white person to help them through the process. Just once I'd like to see someone ask the complainer why they have such a low impression of minorities. Just once.
As for reducing the number of days that early voting is allowed: I've heard it reported (in very few places) that the total number of hours that early voting is allowed will remain the same. Doesn't this mean that since there are fewer days to do it, then there are more hours during each day that early voting places will be open? Doesn't this mean that people who work off-shift would be able to get to a polling place either before or after work? Isn't there some kindly white liberal out there who would be willing to donate their time to drive that poor, helpless minority person to the poll and then to their job, so they can not only vote, but get to keep their job also?
Can you liberals possibly expect me to believe that there are just bunches of minorities who can't handle it? Are poor people really that hard up for time that they can't get to the polls at SOME point? With all the government subsistence plans out there, isn't there ANY way that poor can get around to voting?
How about someone in the lame stream media finally start finding some good somewhere that would encourage minorities and poor folks that they really can handle life? Sometime try running a feel good story about some down & outer that managed to find a bus to get them to the DMV to get a picture ID, to the polls to vote, and then get them to work on time to keep their job. These people are out there in numbers much larger than those poor helpless people you all think are out there. Are you so superior to these people that they can't make it without you? Just remember one simple truth: it is NOT me saying these people are helpless without you. It's you saying it and expecting that I believe adults are so lost in life.
Without liberals to love, think how boring life could be.
