From BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY
The Democracy and Public Policy Network in the Department of Political Science at Bowling Green State University has released the results of its latest web-based poll, conducted from Sept. 1 – 10, with insight from 1,000 Ohio likely voters.
Topics in the poll included:
- The president’s approval rating
- Ohio governor and U.S. Senate races
- A desire for a televised debate
- Ohioans’ stance on data centers
- Ohio voters’ view of politicians and institutions
The nonpartisan poll has an overall margin of error of +/- 3.96%.
President’s approval declines in Ohio – 61% of Ohio voters believe country is on wrong track
“Ohio has been one of Donald Trump’s strongest states, but our findings suggest voters are becoming increasingly uneasy about him, the direction of the country, and the economy. Given that midterm elections are largely about the president’s approval, Democrats are poised to be competitive in a state Republicans have dominated electorally for two decades,” said Robert Alexander, professor of political science at BGSU.
Democrats hold slight edge in governor and U.S. Senate races
“While Democrats currently hold narrow leads in both contests, voters believe Republicans are more likely to prevail in November,” said Alexander. “This suggests that many Ohioans view the state as fundamentally more favorable for Republicans, even thought the current political environment has made it much more difficult for Republican candidates.”
Ohioans would like to see candidates take the debate stage
“While our poll went into the field before the question of debates became a campaign issue, it is clear that Ohio voters want to see the candidates debate one another in the public square,” Alexander said. “Moreover, they believe that debates are a valuable part of the democratic process.”
“While candidates often calculate whether participating in a debate benefits their campaign, voters see it differently,” Alexander continued. “They overwhelmingly believe debates are a fundamental part of the democratic process and believe the public benefits from them.”
Ohioans skeptical of data centers
“This is one of the strongest examples of how public opinion has shaped conversations and campaigning over a specific topic,” Alexander said. “Poll after poll has revealed that Ohioans are leery of data centers and the public stances of most politicians have changed as a result.”
Ohioans hold few politicians and institutions in high regard, with a few notable exceptions
“One of the more encouraging findings from this poll is that Ohioans continue to place considerable trust in institutions that directly affect their daily lives. Public school teachers and medical experts remain among the most respected groups we measured, even as confidence in many political leaders and institutions remains low,” Alexander said.
Full poll results include:
For the poll, YouGov, an international online research data and analytics technology group, gathered public opinion data through a statewide web-based poll.
A four-person research team in the BGSU Department of Political Science developed, ordered, tested, and analyzed the questions in the poll.
For more information, visit BGSU.edu/depo.
