After taking the pulse of North Carolina voters during the 2012 presidential election season, the Elon Poll now seeks to determine how North Carolina citizens feel about various state and national issues.
The next poll, which will be conducted from Feb. 24-28, will ask about voters’ opinions on the state legislature, new tax proposals and newly-elected Gov. Pat McCrory.
“The governor hasn’t been in office very long, but he has made some appointments to specific positions in his cabinet, so I imagine that some people in North Carolina will have some opinion on whether he’s on the right track or not,” said Kenneth Fernandez, director of the Elon Poll.
The poll will also inquire about several proposed changes to state’s tax code. The legislature is considering eliminating personal and corporate income taxes and raising sales taxes in order to create a more business-friendly tax climate. Fernandez expressed concern that survey questions might not adequately address such a complex issue.
“I think our toughest questions are about taxes and the deficit ceiling, because how do you frame that? How do you articulate that question?” he asked. “And do people have an honest, sincere opinion, or is everyone just saying, ‘Yeah, get rid of the income tax because that means there’s more money in my pocket?’”
Regarding national issues, the Elon Poll will ask for voters’ opinions on immigration, background checks for gun purchases and a ban on assault weapons.
The Elon Poll has included gun control in the past, but Fernandez said believes recent events have prompted greater support of gun control.
“I still think because Obama’s talking about it, Congress is talking about it, Harry Reid is talking about it, it is in the forefront of our mind,” he said.
The poll will also ask about education in North Carolina, specifically on school choice, merit pay and teacher tenure. Fernandez stressed the importance of education as a public issue, pointing out that in most states, “half the budget goes to education.”
“In one respect, we’d like to just ask people how they would grade the schools in their area,” Fernandez said.
The Elon Poll will also ask about voters’ opinions on gay marriage, education, science and scientific investment.
Elon Polls have historically been relatively long, but since Fernandez and Husser began directing the survey, the poll length has shortened.
“The longer the survey is, the fewer responses you get,” Husser said. “We like to make sure that we get adequate number of completions so that we have statistical accuracy. We also think it’s less unpleasant for a student interviewer. Eight-minute conversations are much easier than 30-minute conversations.”
Elon students conduct the survey by phone, and many of them receive bonus points for political science classes for participating. There are other benefits for taking part in the poll, as well.
“Students get 10 dollars an hour,” Husser said. “And pizza.”