Post Elect Key Findings

							TO:             INTERESTED PARTIES

FROM:           JIM BURTON

SUBJECT:        POST ELECTION KEY FINDINGS

DATE:           NOVEMBER 7, 2012


Key Findings

1.      Voter fraud is viewed as a problem, and nearly four in ten say it is a major problem in
        presidential elections.

        Seventy percent of voters say voter fraud is a problem in presidential elections, and one-quarter say
        it is not a problem. Republicans and Independents are much more likely than Democrats to say it
        is a problem; however, a majority of Democrats still agree it is a problem.

2.      Widespread support exists for requiring voters to show government issued photo identification
        at the polls on Election Day.

        Given their concerns about voter fraud, it is no surprise three-quarters of voters say there should be
        a requirement to show photo identification before being allowed to vote. This cuts across ethnic,
        party, and ideological lines. Republicans and Independents overwhelmingly feel photo ID should
        be required, and a significant majority of Democrats (59%) support the idea.



                                                                               African
                                       White             Non-White                               Hispanic
                                                                              American
                Total Should
                                        79%                 68%                  66%                74%
                 Require ID
             Total Should Not
                                        19%                 29%                  30%                34%
               Require ID




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Key Findings Memo
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3.     A majority favor a law similar to Arizona’s immigration policy, where local law enforcement are
       required to verify the immigration status of people they reasonably suspect of being in the
       country illegally.

       Six in ten voters favor this law and one-third oppose it. Intensity is twenty points higher among
       voters (43% strongly favor) who favor the law than opponents (23% strongly oppose). There are
       significant differences by ethnicity. Two-thirds of white voters favor this type of law, but
       non-whites are almost evenly split (47% favor/49% oppose), and a slim majority of African
       Americans support this law. Hispanics oppose the policy by a margin of eighteen points
       (40% favor/58% oppose). Regionally there is more support for this type of policy in the
       Midwest and South than there is in the Northeast and West.

4.     The President’s immigration policy is not something voters feel strongly about, and opinions are
       divided.

       Voters were asked whether or not they support the President’s immigration policy. Opinions on the
       policy are divided. Forty percent are behind the President’s policy, and thirty-seven percent
       oppose it. Intensity is soft on both sides, and slightly more than one-in-five could not offer
       an opinion on the President’s plan.

       By party, Republicans oppose the plan, a majority of Democrats favor it, and a plurality of
       Independents support it.

5.    Nearly one-half strongly agree with the following statement: The larger the size government the
      more opportunities it creates for possible corruption.

       Voters strongly agree that as government continues to grow, it leads to more opportunities for
       government corruption. This is one more area where Governor Romney voters and President
       Obama voters agree.

6.     Corruption in the federal government is very concerning to voters.

       More than one-half (53%) say they are very concerned about the issue of federal government
       corruption in Washington, DC. Overall, eighty-five percent of voters are concerned about this
       issue. There are slight differences in the data by ethnicity and party, but a majority of voters
       across the board are very concerned about it. However, this is not a top of mind issue, as voters are
       primarily focused on the economy.




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                          214 North Fayette Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314
                         Telephone: (703) 836-7655; Facsimile: (703) 836-8117
Key Findings Memo
Page 3 of 3

7.      Neither political party is perceived as better able to clean up corruption in Washington, DC.

        One-third of voters feel Republicans can do a better job cleaning up corruption in the federal
        government, and thirty seven percent say Democrats are better able to do the job. For the
        President and Congress, it should be most alarming that thirty-eight percent of Independents say
        neither party has the upper hand on cleaning up Washington. Despite the President’s talk about
        changing Washington, voters don’t give the Democrats the benefit of the doubt on cleaning
        up corruption in the government.

8.      A significant majority of voters agree with the statement saying that journalists are more likely to
        favor one candidate over another, which leads to the absence of neutrality and objectiveness.

        Slightly more than three-quarters agree that the press is more likely to favor one candidate for
        office over another at the expense of their journalistic objectivity. The press is seen as leading
        with its coverage of candidates because they are more likely to favor one candidate over another.

9.      Voters who receive some form of government assistance or benefits do not hold an allegiance to
        one party.

        Nearly one-quarter (23%) of voters receive some government assistance, including benefits such as
        unemployment, school lunches, food stamps, and Medicaid. Of those receiving assistance, 39%
        are Republicans, 48% are Democrats and 12% are Independents. The presidential ballot
        among voters receiving government benefits is 46% Romney and 51% Obama. These voters are
        certainly not in the pocket for either political party.

The Bottom Line
While elected officials in Washington, DC continue to fight over policy issues there are multiple issues
where voters of all political backgrounds agree on including the need to fight corruption and voter fraud.
There is an opening for either party to demonstrate it is going to be the leader in cleaning up corruption in
the federal government because voters do not much faith in either party to do it. There is also strong
support for having local law enforcement help enforce immigration policy.

Methodology
This national survey of a random sample of 800 actual voters was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies.
Thirty percent (30%) of the interviews were conducted with cell phone only respondents. The survey was
conducted on November 6, 2012 and has a margin of error of + 3.46% in 95 out of 100 cases.




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                           214 North Fayette Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314
                          Telephone: (703) 836-7655; Facsimile: (703) 836-8117