POLL: Coronavirus Fears Not Yet Gripping Arizona Voters

Voters split on Trump's handling of the outbreak

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — March 10th, 2020

PHOENIX (March 10th, 2020) – Just a third of Arizona voters are concerned about the spread of coronavirus in the state, a new Arizona Public Opinion poll found.

With six confirmed cases in Arizona, most voters expressed little concern about a potential pandemic.

"Despite a barrage of news about sickened cruise ship passengers and quarantines, Arizonans appear less concerned about an outbreak here," said Mike Noble, Chief of Research and Managing Partner of OH Predictive Insights. "The fear gripping the stock market and other countries haven't caught on here."

The poll found 44 percent of likely voters in the state are either "Extremely" or "Moderately" concerned about the spread of the coronavirus in the United States, while just 35 percent said the same about the illness spreading in Arizona — one of the first states to have a confirmed case of the disease in the United States.

The Arizona Statewide survey was conducted on March 3 and March 4, 2020, with a sample of 600 respondents identified as likely voters.

President Trump is earning low marks from Arizona voters regarding his handling of the epidemic. Only 46 percent of Arizona voters approve of his actions regarding the coronavirus, while 54 percent disapprove. Among voters who have an opinion, approval was split largely along party lines: 86 percent of Republicans approve, 89 percent of Democrats disapprove, and Independents split 35 percent approve/65 percent disapprove.

Though most Arizonans disapprove of the president's actions, there is broad approval among voters regarding how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is handling the situation. Three-quarters of Arizona likely voters approve of the measures the CDC has taken, compared to only 14 percent who disapprove. This consensus spans the political spectrum — 90 percent of Republicans, 82 percent of Independents, and 80 percent of Democrats approve of the CDC's actions.

Methodology: This blended phone poll was conducted via cell and landline by OH Predictive Insights on March 3–4, 2020, from an Arizona likely 2020 General Election voter sample. The sample demographics accurately reflected party affiliation, gender, region, and age. Sample size: 600 completed surveys, MoE ± 4.0%.

Media Contacts: Mike Noble, OH Predictive Insights — [email protected], (480) 313-1837 | Haylye Plaster — [email protected], (602) 687-3034