New Poll: Future of American Democracy Is Top Presidential Election Issue In Massachusetts

Thirty-one percent of Massachusetts voters say their top issue in the upcoming presidential election is the future of American democracy, topping concerns over the economy (27%) and immigration (13%), according to a poll of likely Massachusetts voters by Suffolk University and The Boston Globe.

The poll of registered Bay State voters who say they are likely to vote this November indicated other issues, such as foreign policy and abortion (6% each), healthcare (5%), climate change (4%), and gun control (3%), are lagging far behind concerns that civic values are at stake.

This distinction is telling, said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, because only 10% of Massachusetts voters described the state’s economy as “excellent” (versus 20% who rated it “poor”) and 39% said their household finances have grown worse in the past year.

“Massachusetts voters are sending the country a powerful message about the future of American democracy,” Paleologos said. “Even among people whose financial situation hasn’t improved over the last year, the future of democracy still ranks very high as the most important issue in 2024.”

Harris holds nearly 30-point lead over Trump

The poll showed Vice President Kamala Harris cruising to nearly a 30-point lead over former President Donald Trump, 61%-32%, with 3% of voters choosing among the other candidates listed on the Massachusetts ballot: Green-Rainbow Jill Stein received 1.2%, while Socialism and Liberation Party Claudia De la Cruz, independent Shiva Ayyadurai, and Libertarian Chase Oliver all received less than 1% each. Just 3% of voters remain undecided a month before Election Day.

Senate re-election candidate Warren scores high in approval ratings

In the state’s Senate race, Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Warren is easily outpacing Republican nominee John Deaton 59%-35%, with 6% of voters still undecided. At 60%, Warren’s job approval tops every other major candidate among voters polled, including Governor Maura Healey (58%), Kamala Harris (57%), Joe Biden (56%), and Donald Trump (35%).

Ballot questions 4 and 5 contentious with close margins

Of the five ballot questions voter will face, 71% of Massachusetts voters said they would vote to grant the state auditor the authority to audit the legislature, while just 16% opposed the measure.
The second question would eliminate the MCAS examination as a high school graduation requirement, and when asked if they supported this measure, 58% responded “yes,” and 37% responded “no.”
Question 3, which would provide unionization for transportation network drivers, received support from 59% of voters, with 34% saying “no.”

Voters were nearly equally split on the fourth question, to legalize certain natural psychedelic substances, with 47% “yes” and 46% “no.” Another high-profile ballot referendum, Question 5, which seeks to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers and allow employers to pool tips for nonmanagement workers, was narrowly opposed by those surveyed, 52%-40%.

Methodology

The Suffolk University and The Boston Globe statewide survey of 500 residents was conducted October 2-6, and is based on live interviews of registered voters in Massachusetts who indicated they were very or somewhat likely to vote this November. Each area’s quota and demographic information—including party affiliation, gender, race, and age—were determined from presidential exit polls and 2022 census data. The 14 Massachusetts counties were grouped into four general regions. The margin of sampling error for results based on the total sample is +/- 4.4 percentage points. Suffolk University student Zoe Toperosky contributed to the poll summaries for this survey. Marginals and full cross-tabulation data are posted on the Suffolk University Political Research Center website. For more information, contact David Paleologos at 781-290-9310, [email protected].