Despite pushback, most in NC support coronavirus restrictions — or want them tougher

The North Carolina legislature repeatedly attempted to reopen parts of the economy last week as Republicans criticized Gov. Roy Cooper’s coronavirus response as too strict.

But a new poll released Thursday found that a majority of state residents from both political parties felt the state’s restrictions did not go too far.

In fact, for nearly half of those polled, the restrictions were not tight enough.

The data, collected in a representative online survey conducted by Elon University in partnership with The News & Observer, The Charlotte Observer and The Herald-Sun on June 24 and 25, show just 21% of residents agreed that “the state of North Carolina’s rules and restrictions around coronavirus” have been “too restrictive.”

Among Republicans, who were the most likely to share that view at 35%, just as many felt North Carolina’s approach was not strict enough. Jason Husser, director of the Elon University Poll, said those in opposition may just be the loudest voices.

“That 35%, though, are the ones that we’re hearing the most from,” he said, pointing to the ReOpen NC rallies as one example of this.

In total, 33% of residents polled found the state’s restrictions to be “about right,” while 46% felt they should be more restrictive. The poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.8%.

The state’s restrictions have included shutting down businesses which state health officials have deemed at risk of spreading the virus, such as gyms and bars, and mandating masks be worn in public across the state, but no specific restrictions were named in the poll.

Election implications

The survey data, which includes opinions on the economy, health care and COVID-19, comes as the state continues to wrestle with a growing number of cases, and the political uncertainty of an upcoming election.

Husser said that while it remains unclear how heavily COVID-19 will factor into people’s decisions come November, when the Democratic governor is up for re-election, the data could bode well for Cooper. He said the governor’s response to the virus has mostly been received well.

“Cooper seems to have threaded a needle in which he’s gotten the majority of his party, as well as a large number of unaffiliated voters on his side and hasn’t alienated that many Republicans,” he said.

Health care

Face coverings became mandatory across the state after an executive order last week, but the question of enforcement remains up in the air. More than a dozen sheriffs from some of the most populated counties in NC have since spoken out against the order, and the order itself relies on the “honor system.”

But while the executive order may be unpopular among some lawmakers and sheriffs, the polling data found widespread support for a government mask mandate.

Among all polled residents, 74% said they would support a state mandate to wear masks in public — including a majority of Republicans, Democrats and those who identified with neither political party. The support was highest among Democrats, at 91%, and lowest among Republicans, at 57%.

The nation’s health care system, which for many voters constitutes one of the most important topics for the upcoming election, faced some criticism among those polled, with 69% grading it a ‘C’ or lower. More than half of those polled felt the government should be more involved in providing health care.

Economy

With an economy that has been hit hard by the virus, as businesses around the state struggle under the financial weight of the pandemic, polling data suggests many North Carolina residents have felt the ripples.

Thirty-six percent of respondents said their own financial situations have grown worse since the COVID-19 pandemic began, while 55% said they remained the same and 10% said they improved.

Residents were split on party lines when asked if the economy had improved since 2017, the year President Donald Trump took office. 54% of Republicans said it had, compared to only 10% of Democrats. Thirty-two percent of Republicans agreed with the 76% of Democrats who felt the economy had grown worse.

As the presidential election looms, some have speculated the state of the economy will play a large role in how voters make their choice. But Husser pointed to the fact that the data does not show many residents have switched party affiliations when it comes to the economy.

“It definitely is a high risk factor for Trump,” he said. “With that in mind, we’re not seeing clear blame attribution to Trump specifically.”

But even as the economy suffers, Husser said the data show state residents are hesitant to resume ordinary life.

He pointed to the 88% of respondents who did not support sporting events resuming as normal, and the 67% who said they were less likely to vacation this summer due to the virus.

“That suggests that the majority of North Carolinians are still not comfortable with life returning to normal,” he said.

This story was originally published July 2, 2020 at 9:08 AM.