Likely voters in 6 battleground states divided on government’s pandemic handling

Anticipated general election voters in six battleground states – Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania – are divided in beliefs surrounding how the government has and should handle the coronavirus pandemic, according to the latest CNBC/Change Research “States of Play” poll.

The results of the poll, which was conducted May 15-17, were announced on Wednesday.

According to a press release US and Global News received from NBCUniversal, the owner of CNBC, the marked divide in views is largely based on political affiliation.

For example, 62% of Republicans are not seriously concerned about coronavirus, while 97% of Democrats are.

The survey polled more than 3,800 likely voters from the six states and 1,400 anticipated voters nationally to determine economic sentiments among the voters.

Sixty-six percent of Democrats were almost twice as likely to answer yes when asked if they knew anyone, including themselves, who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, vs. 35% of Republicans.

“This seems to be largely correlated to the demographic breakdown of where those identifying as Republicans live as opposed to where those identifying as Democrats live,” says the release we received.

Fifty-four percent of Democrats express “very serious concerns when asked if they have concerns about returning to jobs before they felt safe. On the other hand, 7% of Republicans say the same. Seventy-one percent of Republicans say the impacts of the pandemic are “getting better,” while 67% of Democrats say the pandemic impact is “getting worse.”

When asked if a second wave is a concern, 68% of Democrats say they are preparing for a second wave, while 86% of Republicans say they are not. Seventeen percent of Republicans have “very serious” concerns about a second wave, compared to 89% of Democrats. Ten percent of Republicans say there will “definitely” be a second wave, compared to 71% of Democrats.

Voters are increasingly concerned about costs, with 40% in battleground states saying they think the CARES Act was too costly and 40% believing the bill passed in the House (the HEROES Act) last week is too costly.

Of all the battleground states, Michigan has seen the greatest impacts from the novel coronavirus.

It should be noted here that President Donald Trump is currently visiting Michigan. It is the president’s third battleground state visit since Change Research and CNBC began taking this poll in March.

In Michigan, 62% of voters personally know someone who has contracted the coronavirus. Fifty percent of voters in the state have lost wages or had their salary cut. Forty-one percent of voters in Michigan say they have lost a job or been furloughed. In the state, 50% of voters believe this economic slump will be worse than 2008’s Great Recession – an 11-point increase in six weeks.

The full results of the poll can be found on Change Research’s website, here.

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