Washington Voter Mood: Historic Trends
“Would you say things in Washington State are generally headed in the right direction, or would you say things have pretty much gotten off on the wrong track?”
According to a Moore Information Survey released yesterday, voter sentiment is not good in Washington. In its explanation, Moore says:
"Our recent survey of Washington voters finds the electorate in a sour mood, largely fueled by the state of the economy. Today, a 51% majority of the state’s voters describe things in Washington as headed “off on the wrong track,” while just 37% say things are headed in the “right direction.” The remaining 12% has no opinion. Historically, voter “mood” is directly correlated with the state of the economy – in good economic times, optimism soars, and in bad economic times, hopes fade.
Today’s sentiment is the most negative we have seen since January 2005 (35% right direction, 51% wrong track). The lowest point was in June 2003, when fully 65% of voters said things in the state were off on the “wrong track.”
Top of Mind Issue Concerns
As we are seeing all over the country, the top of mind concern among Washington voters today is the economy. In fact, in an open-ended question, fully 51% cite the economy or jobs as their leading issue concern today.
No other issue even comes close to this level of worry – the second highest mention is taxes at 9%, followed by concerns about education (8%), the budget deficit (6%) health care (5%), traffic/transportation (3%) and government waste (3%). The economy tops the list among all voter subgroups today.
Most Important Issue Facing Washington
“What, in your opinion, is the most important issue facing people in Washington State today?”
