New Poll: Washingtonians more concerned about public health than economy

— from Crosscut —

76% of voters believe the pandemic restrictions are working, and 61% are concerned about lifting them too soon

SEATTLE—A majority of Washingtonians are more concerned about the coronavirus’s threat to public health than to the economy, according to results from a new Crosscut/Elway Poll focused on coronavirus response.

In a new statewide poll, 76% said the restrictions and precautions ordered by government agencies have worked to control the spread of the virus.  When it comes to reopening the economy, 61% of respondents were more concerned about lifting restrictions too early and risks to public health than they were about lifting them too late and putting the economy at greater risk.

Those majorities held up across political parties, geographic locations and demographic groups, although they were stronger in Western Washington and among Democrats. Ninety-two percent of Democrats said the restrictions were working and 52% of Republicans agreed.

“We’ve been seeing a lot of news coverage of protests against restrictions, but the reality is that the people angry at the government are in the minority,” said Mark Baumgarten, Crosscut Managing Editor. “Most Washingtonians think the state is on the right track.”   

The Crosscut/Elway poll also shows that even a pandemic does not completely change partisan politics.  While 82% of Democrats said lifting the restrictions too soon was the greater risk, 64% of Republicans said keeping restrictions on too long was the bigger problem. Independents more closely aligned with Democrats on this question, with 59% more worried about public health and 29% more worried about the economy.

Despite overall approval of government response, a wide gap emerged when respondents were asked to assess the performance of leadership at the state and federal levels. Governor Jay Inslee received a 75% approval rating for the way he has approached the pandemic, while 42% of those polled said they approved of President Donald Trump’s handling of the crisis. 

The live poll of 405 registered Washington voters was conducted April 18-20 by phone and online, with 38% of respondents participating by landline, 31% by cell phone and 31% online after text message invitation.  

The poll has a margin of error of ± 5% at a 95% confidence level. This means that had this same survey been conducted 100 times, the results would be within 5 percentage points of the results reported here at least 95 times.

About Crosscut

Crosscut is the Pacific Northwest’s independent, nonprofit news site. We believe an informed public is essential to solving the challenges of our time. Crosscut strives to provide readers with the facts and analysis they need to intelligently participate in civic discourse, and to create a more just, equitable and sustainable society.