While 52 percent saw the country as being on the wrong track, Obama was viewed favorably by 55 percent of those polled. Twenty-five percent viewed Romney favorably, compared to 51 percent who had an unfavorable opinion of him. The U.S. Congress had a 51 percent unfavorable rating.
Given a scenario where the respondent’s vote would swing a close national election, 85 percent of those who favor Obama said they would register and/or vote to clinch an election for him, while 70 percent of those who prefer Romney would do the same for the Republican candidate.
“Ironically, both the Obama and Romney campaigns want to tout likely-voter polls showing their respective candidates leading by wide margins,” said Paleologos. “But for these non-voters, this assertion has the opposite effect from what the campaigns want. If these people think you’re going to win anyway, that’s one more reason in a long list of reasons why they’ll stay home in November.”
Methodology
The nationwide survey of 800 US adults was conducted July 30-Aug. 8, 2012, using live telephone interviews of landline and cell phone users. The margin of error is +/- 3.47 percent. Marginals and full cross-tabulation data were posted on Wednesday, Aug. 15, on the Suffolk University Political Research Center website. For more information, contact David Paleologos at 781-290-9310, on Twitter: @DavidPaleologos.
Voting Rights Act FAQs, US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Voting Section:
Frequently Asked Questions
- What federal law protects me from discrimination in voting?
- Where did the Voting Rights Act come from?
- What does the Voting Rights Act do?
- What does the Justice Department do to enforce the Voting Rights Act?
- Will the Voting Rights Act expire?
- What is Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act?
- What is the Justice Department's role under Section 5?
- What kinds of racial discrimination in voting are there, and what does the Voting Rights Act do about them?
- Is it prohibited to draw majority-minority districts?
- I work for a covered jurisdiction and have the duty to make our Section 5 submissions. What do I need to do to comply with the law?
- Can individuals have their views considered in the Section 5 review process?
- What other voting rights laws does the Justice Department enforce?
- Does the Voting Rights Act protect language minorities?
- What are federal observers?
- How do I get federal observers to monitor an election?
- What responsibilities does the Justice Department have with regard to voter fraud or intimidation?
- What responsibilities does the Justice Department have with regard to campaign finance?
- If I lost my right to vote because I was convicted of a felony, how can I get it restored?
- Can the Justice Department run elections to make sure they are fair?
- How can I make a discrimination complaint under the Voting Rights Act?
- What is the role of the Civil Rights Division in enforcing HAVA?
- Does the Civil Rights Division distribute federal funds under HAVA?
- To what elections does Title III of HAVA apply?
- Does Title III of HAVA apply to all States?
- Does a State have to comply with Title III of HAVA if it does not seek or accept federal funding?
- National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) - Questions and Answers about Sections 5, 6, 7, and 8
Illustration of Voting Machine booklet. The American Voting Machine Company's sales literature carried this idealized picture of the poll-going electorate in 1948. Smithsonian Museum of American History 2004 exhibit, Vote: The Machinery of Democracy
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