7 in 10 worry about voter suppression by interfering with a fair and accurate count
Allen Media Group’s African-American-focused news, lifestyle and entertainment platform The Grio and KFF today released a joint national poll examining the mood and views of black voters, the only in-depth public poll of this cycle. election focused exclusively on this group, which has historically been a solid Democratic voting bloc, but has diverse views that are often overlooked in national elections. Coverage of the survey findings also begins today on theGrio.com and will continue throughout the week on their website and cable TV channel.
Unlike a typical national poll of voters, the survey reaches a large enough sample of black voters to examine differences by factors such as age, gender, education and political affiliation.
The poll finds that about half (51%) of black voters say they are more motivated to vote this year than in previous elections, largely because of a desire to elect Democrats or keep Republicans out of power, as well as a general desire for change. .
While large swaths of groups express increased motivation this year, they are highest among older black voters (58% of those age 50 and older say they are more motivated to vote) and those who approve President Biden (58%). Similar proportions of those who identify as Democrat or lean (55%) and those who identify as Republican or lean (54%) say they are more motivated this year.
The project finds that black voters are most concerned about the economy, inflation, and the affordability of health care and housing. At the same time, these voters also list several non-economic issues as important to their vote, including voter rights, gun violence, and criminal justice and policing.
Other key findings include:
- Electoral integrity. Seven in ten (71%) of all black voters say they are concerned about voter suppression interfering with fair and accurate elections in their state. This may reflect the experiences of black voters at the polls: Nearly half (46%) say they have had to wait in long lines at their polling place in the past, and one in five (20%) say they or have registered voters. were questioned or told they were not registered to vote, requested a mail-in ballot that never arrived or arrived too late, were denied a mail-in ballot, and/or were told they did not have the correct identification.
- Housing costs. About three in ten (31%) black voters say the cost of housing is the economic issue they most want President Biden and Congress to address, more than those who say the same about the cost of food (24%). health. care (23%), gas (10%), or student debt (12%). Additionally, three-quarters of black voters say the issue of housing affordability is very important to their vote, including even higher percentages of lower-income black voters (84% of those with annual under $40,000), black female voters (82%), and younger black voters (78% of those under the age of 50).
- Partisan identification. While about three-quarters of black voters identify as Democrats (61%) or lean Democrats (13%), about one in ten identify as Republicans (7%) or lean Republicans (4%). Another 13% identify as independent or something else and lean neither Democratic nor Republican. These groups have very different views than the Democratic majority, especially on recent Supreme Court decisions and issues of gender and sexual identity.
TheGrio will begin publishing the Grio/KFF poll of voters of color on Oct. 18 through a series of original stories reported by the brand’s political team, including White House correspondent April Ryan and senior correspondent Natasha S. Alford. The reporting will include insights from experts and stakeholders to contextualize some of the salient findings, from black voter approval ratings for President Joe Biden (69%) and Vice President Kamala Harris (65%) to voter sentiment colored for police funding. and inflation and other economic issues (73%) as the biggest concern for black voters and their families now when asked to state it in their own words.
Additionally, theGrio will explore survey findings on black voters’ opinions of the Supreme Court since Roe v. Wade was overturned and concerns about voter suppression through opinion columns by writers Touré and Michael Harriot. TheGrio reporters and columnists will also analyze the findings in new television series “TheGrio with Eboni K. Williams” and “TheGrio with Marc Lamont Hill,” scheduled to debut Monday, Oct. 24 on the platform’s cable channel.
The poll was jointly developed and analyzed by the Grio and KFF’s survey and polling research group and was conducted from August 24 to September 5 among a national probability-based sample of 1,000 adults aged 18 and older who identify as black or African American and are registered to vote. . Interviews were conducted in English online and by live telephone interviewers. Results from the full survey have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Each partner is responsible for its own editorial content related to the survey.
About Grio
In 2016, Allen Media Group acquired theGrio, a highly rated digital video-centric news community platform dedicated to providing African Americans with compelling stories and perspectives currently underrepresented in existing national news media. TheGrio features curated and original video packages, news articles and opinion on topics including breaking news, politics, health, business and entertainment. The digital platform remains focused on curating exciting digital content and currently has more than 100 million annual visitors. TheGrio is available wherever people consume information – on a mobile app, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, AppleTV and now as an over-the-air TV network.
About KFF
Filling the need for reliable information on national health issues, KFF is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California, that produces nonpartisan analysis, polls, journalism, and social impact media campaigns for policymakers, the media, and the public. KFF develops and directs its own policy analysis, journalism. and communication programs. No affiliation with Kaiser Permanente.
