2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES
With only six months remaining until the United States elects its next President, we have already seen one of the most drama filled election cycles in recent history. In the six months since our last research, the list of candidates has slimmed to five from the original nineteen, and we are starting to see more consistency of voters’ viewpoints. Check out our infographic and results below.Below are a few highlights from our newest political research:
It’s getting more real – significantly more respondents are actively following the 2016 presidential election now (37%) than were in September 2015 (29%).
Jobs and the economy, followed by healthcare, still top the list of issues respondents are most concerned about. Education rounds out the top three, lowering taxes to the number four spot. National security also knocked minimum wage out of the fifth spot.
Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz are gaining momentum:
On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders gained 11% since September 2015 and is polling equal with Hillary Clinton as being the top choice for president.
As the field narrowed on the Republican side, Donald Trump did not gain new supporters, remaining stable at 19% as the top choice, while Ted Cruz gained 8% (increasing from 2% to 10%).
Despite Sanders’ momentum, respondents still feel that Hillary Clinton is the most electable candidate (33%, up from 29% in September 2015).
Bernie Sanders is more likely to be considered by 25% of Republicans, compared to Hillary Clinton at 20%.
John Kasich is most likely to be considered by Democrats at 23%.
Candidate rejection (% indicating they would never vote for this candidate) is the highest with a significant increase of 12% for Donald Trump (from 69% in September to 81% in March), while Bernie Sanders has the lowest Rejection Rate at 51%.
Fun Fact: More than a third of respondents (36%) feel positive towards the idea of Democratic Socialism. However, 56% of those could not properly define the political ideology.
