POLL: Majority approves of Governor Ducey, Disapprove of Trump handling of Coronavirus

Most Arizonans Sheltering at Home

Majority approves of Governor Ducey, Disapprove of Trump handling of Coronavirus

PHOENIX (April 21st, 2020) – As some states appear to have reached the peak of the Coronavirus outbreak, most Arizonans are still sheltering in place.

A recent Arizona Public Opinion Pulse (AZPOP) poll among 600 Arizona likely voters found that the vast majority of the state is heeding the advice of Governor Ducey and the Director of Arizona's Department of Health Services Dr. Cara Christ and staying at home as much as possible. According to the survey, more than 8 in 10 respondents are either venturing outside only when absolutely necessary or not leaving the house at all.

"The President has a big mouthpiece and it's evident in the data that his rhetoric has an impact on supporters' attitudes and behaviors," said Mike Noble, Chief of Research at Phoenix-based OH Predictive Insights. "Even though the level of concern has risen significantly regarding the spread of the Coronavirus, a majority of Arizona voters are doing their part to stay at home and approve of the job the Governor and AZ-DHS are doing to combat COVID-19."

Voters' opinions of the president – who himself has been optimistic about when the country will get back to normal — also play a role in their willingness to leave the house. More than 25 percent of voters who approve of the job President Trump has been doing say they are still going out whereas only 7 percent of those who disapprove of the president say the same.

Arizonans' reluctance to leave their houses is reflected in their overall levels of concern regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Majorities of voters are concerned about the status of the pandemic right now, both in Arizona and nationwide. Almost 3 in 5 voters (57 percent) are "Extremely concerned" about the spread of the Coronavirus countrywide and an additional 17 percent are "Moderately concerned." The share of voters who are "extremely" or "moderately" concerned about the Coronavirus in the United States increased 30 points from this time last month.

Similar proportions of voters (70 percent) are also "extremely" or "moderately" concerned about the spread of COVID-19 specifically in Arizona. This number has doubled from this point in March when the share of voters who are "extremely" or "moderately" concerned about the outbreak in Arizona was only 35 percent altogether.

When it comes to entities charged with combatting the coronavirus in the United States as a whole and in Arizona specifically, voters approve of the jobs that the nonpartisan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) are doing more than those of Governor Doug Ducey and President Donald Trump. In fact, President Trump is the only individual or organization of whom more voters disapprove of the job they are doing to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.

The poll also found that the CARES Act, which provided economic relief to individuals and businesses in the wake of the Coronavirus fallout is broadly popular. More than 8 in 10 voters (84 percent) approve of the legislation and only 13 percent oppose it. Of the 13 percent who oppose the law, 39 percent say it spends too much money and 26 percent say it does not spend enough.

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Methodology: This blended phone poll was conducted via cell and landline. The survey was completed by OH Predictive Insights on April 7th, 2020 and April 8th, 2020, from an Arizona likely 2020 General Election voter sample. The sample demographics accurately reflected party affiliation, gender, region, ethnicity, age, and education level. The sample size was 600 completed surveys, with a MoE of ± 4.0%. Numbers may not total 100%, due to rounding.

Media Contacts: Mike Noble, OH Predictive Insights, [email protected], (480) 313-1837

Haylye Plaster, OH Predictive Insights, [email protected], (602) 687-3034