Michigan voters prefer Whitmer, while many believe the COVID threat is being downplayed

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Results of a Michigan voter poll in early December suggest that there are many residents of the state who are concerned that the COVID-19 pandemic is being downplayed.

The study also suggests strong support for Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer – 63.3% of Michigan voters believe Whitmer is working aggressively to control the pandemic and protect public health, the study results said.

The Detroit Regional Chamber (DRC) said it conducted this state-wide poll of 600 registered voters in Michigan between November 30 and December 4, 2020.

The DRC said in a press release Monday that “the results of the survey show remarkable stability in how seriously Michiganders takes the virus and how concerned they remain about the economic consequences of extended shutdowns.”

Check out the DRC’s comparable research results from April here.

About the pandemic as a threat to public health:

  • A majority of Michigan voters believe the pandemic situation in Michigan is worse than in April – 82.7% of Michigan residents believe the situation is the same or worse than in April.
  • 60.3% think the threat from COVID-19 is balanced or downplayed, compared to 33.8% who think the threat is exaggerated. Those numbers remain virtually unchanged from May, when 58.8% believed the threat from COVID-19 was balanced or downplayed, compared with 32.2% who felt the threat was exaggerated.
  • 83.8% of Michigan voters say getting the pandemic under control would help Michigan’s economy.

About the economy:

  • 83.7% of Michigan voters believe the state’s economy is worse now than it was before the pandemic hit.
  • 58% of Michigan voters say COVID-19 is tarnishing their household finances.
  • The main impact remains on voters under 40. Of the voters 18-29, 34.1% said the impact was catastrophic or great. Of voters 30-39, 32.8% said the impact was catastrophic or major.
  • 45.8% said the economy was worse as elected officials continued to close businesses.
  • 39.6% said the economy was worse because we cannot control the virus.

About Gov. Gretchen Whitmer:

  • 63.3% of Michigan voters believe that Gov. Whitmer is working aggressively to control the pandemic and protect public health. These favorable figures for the governor are almost the same as in May.
  • 27.0% of voters believe they are not doing everything. More than half of those who said the governor wasn’t doing everything said it was because she had to open companies or do nothing.
  • One third of Republican voters believe Governor Whitmer is doing everything he can to get the pandemic under control. Republican opposition from out-of-state voters drives regional disparities.

About the Michigan Legislature:

  • 29.0% of Michigan voters say state legislative leaders are doing everything they can to get the pandemic under control. 46.5% of voters say they are not doing everything they can.
  • The 46.5% of voters who said legislators weren’t doing everything they could were asked what to do:
    • 40.9% said they had to cooperate and compromise with the governor.
    • 11.1% said they should listen to scientists and health officials.
    • 8.6% said they should work on financial aid.
    • 8.2% said they had to enforce restrictions such as masks and social distance.

View the full research results here:

Coronavirus Sources:

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