January 30, 2020

Virginia Voters Support Progressive Policy Solutions to Address their Economic and Election Concerns

A recent poll commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) shows Virginia voters are concerned about health care, pocketbook economic issues, and election security. Virginians have made the connection between the problems working families face and the progressive policy solutions that can address these challenges; they want action.

Voters Want Action on Economic Policies that Level the Playing Field

The state of the economy and personal finances are keeping many voters up at night. This poll found strong support for legislation focused on solutions to the everyday economic issues that working families face:

  • Increasing penalties on employers who misclassify employees (74%);
  • Making the earned income tax credit fully refundable (72%);
  • Enacting stronger laws to protect Virginians from predatory lending (71%);
  • Expanding overtime pay requirements (63%);
  • Establishing a state insurance fund so all employees can take medical or family leave (62%).

Additionally, Virginia voters want  the state minimum wage to be higher than it is now. One third of voters (32%) believe it should be over $15 an hour, while the average suggested wage was $13.20.

Voters Support Action on Health Care

Across the state, access to quality and affordable health care (72%) and the cost of prescription drugs (71%) lead voters’ concerns.  When asked to rate various legislative policies that are pending, voters strongly support policies that tackle these challenges:

  • Over four in five Virginians (84%) support ending surprise medical billing for nonemergency services; and
  • Four in five (80%) support stopping pharmaceutical companies from keeping generic drugs off the shelves.

Voters Want Secure and Accessible Elections

Nearly two thirds (65%) of Virginia voters rank election security among their top concerns. Policies that make elections more secure and accessible to Virginians have broad support:

  • Enacting automatic voter registration (70%);
  • Allowing Election Day voter registration (59%);
  • Creating no excuse absentee voting (55%); and
  • Establishing a bipartisan redistricting commission (53%).

Additionally,  over nine in ten voters (93%) recognize the importance of completing the 2020 Census.  A majority of Virginia voters (58%) plan on filling the Census out online and just under three in ten (29%) will fill out the form on paper. Only 2% say they will probably not participate.

Click here to see the poll memo. Click here to see a presentation of the results.

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