North Carolina House Legislative Partners
Survey of 600 Registered Voters
January 22 – 23, 2013
Level of Interest in Politics and Elections
On a scale from 1-10, with one being “not at all interested” and ten being “extremely interested, how
interested would you say you are in politics and elections for public office?
N=600
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
8-10 4-7 1-3 Don't
Know
54.3%
39.3%
5.3%
1.0%
N=
8-10 Level of
Interest
4-7 Level of
Interest
1-3 Level of
Interest
Liberal 123 67.5% 25.2% 5.7%
Moderate 193 47.7% 46.1% 5.7%
Conservative 259 54.4% 40.2% 5.0%
Republican 201 52.7% 39.3% 6.5%
Democrat 267 52.8% 40.4% 6.0%
Unaffiliated 125 60.8% 36.8% 2.4%
Tea Party 66 74.2% 18.2% 7.6%
White 450 53.3% 40.4% 5.3%
Black 115 59.1% 34.8% 4.3%
Male 288 54.2% 41.0% 3.8%
Female 312 54.5% 37.8% 6.7%
North Carolina is Moderate to Conservative
If you had to label yourself, would you say you are a liberal, a moderate, or a conservative in your political
beliefs?
N=600
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
9.3%
11.2%
32.2%
19.5%
23.7%
4.2%
N=
Very
Liberal
Somewhat
Liberal
Moderate
Somewhat
Conservative
Very
Conservative
Republican 201 1.0% 0.5% 17.4% 33.3% 43.8%
Democrat 267 16.9% 20.6% 38.2% 11.2% 7.5%
Unaffiliated 125 7.2% 8.8% 41.6% 16.0% 24.8%
Tea Party 66 1.5% 3.0% 10.6% 21.2% 63.6%
White 459 8.0% 8.0% 31.3% 21.6% 27.1%
Black 115 9.6% 25.2% 36.5% 10.4% 13.0%
Male 288 7.6% 8.7% 30.2% 21.9% 27.1%
Female 312 10.9% 13.5% 34.0% 17.3% 20.5%
How Voters Feel About Where NC is Headed
In general, do you believe that North Carolina is heading in the right direction or the wrong direction?
N=600
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Right Wrong Dk/Refused
49.2%
31.0%
19.8%
N=
Right
Direction
Wrong
Direction
Don't
Know/ Ref
Liberal 123 41.5% 40.7% 17.9%
Moderate 193 47.7% 33.2% 19.2%
Conservative 259 54.8% 24.7% 20.5%
Republican 201 60.7% 22.4% 16.9%
Democrat 267 43.8% 35.2% 21.0%
Unaffiliated 125 40.8% 37.6% 21.6%
Tea Party 66 65.2% 19.7% 15.2%
White 450 49.1% 30.9% 20.0%
Black 115 53.9% 28.7% 17.4%
Male 288 47.2% 30.6% 22.2%
Female 312 51.0% 31.4% 17.6%
Most Important Issue Facing North Carolina
In your opinion, what is the single most important issue facing North Carolina today?
N=600 (Open Ended Question)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
39.7%
22.3%
7.5% 7.0%
4.9% 2.2% 1.8% 1.0%
Republicans, Democrats and Unaffiliated voters all cited “unemployment” and “the economy” as most
important issue – 69.2% (GOP), 60.6% (DEM) and 63.2% (UNA). Second issue set for GOP was Taxes
(11.4%) , DEM was Education (7.9%), UNA was Taxes (7.2%).
Issues of Interest
In general, are you most interested in economic issues, like taxes, jobs and the budget; foreign affairs and national security
issues, including terrorism and war; social issues, like education, healthcare and the environment; urban issues, like
crime, drugs, welfare reform, and immigration; or moral issues like “pro-life” and anti-pornography?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Economic Social Moral Foreign Affairs Urban Don't
Know/Refused
58.0%
20.7%
10.8%
3.0% 3.0%
4.5%
Issues of Interest continued…
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Economic Social Moral Foreign Affairs Urban
61.2%
10.4%
16.4%
4.5%
3.5%
52.8%
20.0%
10.5%
2.9%
5.7%
65.8%
17.1%
7.9%
2.6%
1.3%
GOP DEM IND
N=600
State Sales Tax vs. State Income Tax
Which of the following would you say is the best way to tax the citizens of North Carolina?
I. A state sales tax where everyone pays the same tax rate for all goods and services so revenue is collected
based upon how much a person spends, OR
II. A state income tax rate where people who earn more pay more while lower income families pay less.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Sales Tax Income Tax DK/Refused
40.2%
51.7%
8.2%
State
Sales Tax
State
Income Tax
DK/Refused
Republican 54.7% 33.8% 11.4%
Democrat 25.8% 70.0% 4.1%
Unaffiliated 44.8% 43.2% 12.0%
Liberal 26.0% 69.1% 4.9%
Moderate 30.6% 60.1% 9.3%
Conservative 54.4% 37.1% 8.5%
Rural 38.0% 50.8% 11.2%
Suburban 44.4% 50.0% 5.6%
Urban 35.9% 57.0% 7.0%
Male 47.6% 45.5% 6.9%
Female 33.3% 57.4% 9.3%
Tax Reform
“Eliminating the state income tax for all citizens while expanding the state sales tax to include
professional services such as legal fees, haircuts, labor for auto repairs and entertainment items such as
movie tickets.”
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Favor Opposed DK/Refused
36.8%
51.8%
11.3%
Favor Opposed DK/Refused
Republican 44.3% 44.8% 10.9%
Democrat 29.6% 59.6% 10.9%
Unaffiliated 40.0% 47.2% 12.8%
Liberal 32.5% 58.5% 8.9%
Moderate 29.0% 58.0% 13.0%
Conservative 44.4% 45.2% 10.4%
Rural 36.4% 50.4% 13.2%
Suburban 39.3% 50.0% 10.7%
Urban 31.3% 60.2% 8.6%
Male 41.3% 28.3% 10.4%
Female 32.7% 55.1% 12.2%
Tax Reform
“Eliminating the state income tax for corporations and individual business owners s a way to spur new
economic growth while expanding the state sales tax.”
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Favorable Unfavorable No Opinion
35.7%
53.8%
10.5%
Favor Opposed DK/Refused
Republican 48.3% 40.8% 10.9%
Democrat 27.0% 62.5% 10.5%
Unaffiliated 35.2% 55.2% 9.6%
Liberal 18.7% 74.0% 7.3%
Moderate 29.0% 60.6% 10.4%
Conservative 48.3% 41.3% 10.4%
Rural 38.0% 50.4% 11.6%
Suburban 36.9% 50.9% 12.1%
Urban 27.3% 67.2% 5.5%
Male 39.2% 51.0% 9.7%
Female 32.4% 56.4% 11.2%
Tax Reform
“Having a new state sales tax on food and groceries in order to lower your state income tax.”
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Favorable Unfavorable No Opinion
27.3%
66.7%
6.0%
Tax on Food and
Groceries
Favor Opposed DK/Refused
Sample = 600 27.3% 66.7% 6.0%
Republican 32.8% 61.2% 6.0%
Democrat 25.5% 69.3% 5.2%
Unaffiliated 23.2% 68.8% 8.0%
Liberal 20.3% 75.6% 4.1%
Moderate 20.7% 71.5% 7.8%
Conservative 35.5% 59.8% 4.6%
Rural 31.6% 62.8% 10.7%
Suburban 24.8% 68.7% 6.5%
Urban 21.9% 72.7% 5.5%
Male 30.6% 64.9% 4.5%
Female 24.4% 68.3% 7.4%
Summary: Tax Reform
To help solve the state budget problem, lawmakers are looking at ways to reform our tax code in order to
provide a stable revenue stream and make the tax code more reflective of people’s spending habits than
taxing the income they earn.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Expand Sales Tax Eliminate Income Tax/
Corporate
Eliminate
Deducation/Charities
Sales Tax on Food
36.8% 35.7%
30.2%
27.3%
51.8%
53.8%
65.0% 66.7%
Favor Oppose
Expanding Sales Tax or Spending Cuts
When it comes to reducing the state taxes we pay, which of the following options would you prefer most?
I. Lower the income tax on individuals and businesses by expanding the state sales tax to other goods and
services OR
II. Lowering these income taxes by implementing state spending cuts and use that savings to lower taxes.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Expand Sales
Tax
Spending
Cuts
DK/ Refusedx
21.3%
63.0%
15.7%
Expand
Sales Tax
Spending
Cuts
DK/
Refused
Republican 21.9% 62.2% 15.9%
Democrat 20.2% 65.9% 13.9%
Unaffiliated 24.0% 57.6% 18.4%
Liberal 18.7% 59.3% 22.0%
Moderate 21.8% 60.1% 18.1%
Conservative 22.8% 66.4% 10.8%
Rural 23.2% 64.8% 12.0%
Suburban 19.6% 60.7% 19.6%
Urban 19.5% 64.8% 15.6%
Male 21.9% 63.5% 14.6%
Female 20.8% 62.5% 16.7%
How Voters Receive Their Television Signal
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Don't Have Other Internet Phone
Provider
Antenna Cable Satellite TV
0.8%
2.0%
0.8% 4.0%
6.3%
58.2%
26.8%
Republicans: 52.2% Cable 32.3% Satellite
Democrats : 62.2% Cable 22.5% Satellite
Unaffiliated: 60.8% Cable 27.2% Satellite
Viewing Habits by Political Affiliation
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
1.5%
5.0%
5.0%
13.9%
4.50%
20.90%
24.90% 17.40%
How Long have you lived North Carolina?
45.2% said their entire life. As a follow up, we asked: What was the last state you lived in, if it was another
country, then just say so?
13.5%
4.9%
7.1%
9.8%
5.8%
4.6%
4.3%
4.0%
4.6%
4.0%
States from the Northeast (34%)
and Southeast (32.8%) make up 2/3
of where voters lived last before
moving to North Carolina.
Map of Top 10 States:
Demographic Overview
• 21.3% - Urban Based Voters
• 35.7% - Suburban Based Voters
• 41.7% - Rural Based Voters
• 33.5% Registered Democratic
• 44.0% Registered Republican
• 20.8% Registered Unaffiliated
• 37.8% Always/Usually Vote DEM
• 31.5% Always/Usually Vote GOP
• 28.7% Say They’re Ticket Splitters
• 75.0% White
• 21.5% non-White
• 19.2% Black
• 52.0% Female
• 48.0% Male
• 29.3% ----65 or older
• 25.7% ---55-64 years old
• 24.7% ---41-54 years old
• 16.83% ---26-40 years old
• 2.5% ---18-25 years old
• 47.2% - Are College Graduates
• 29.2% - Received some College
• 19.0% - High School Degree
• 3.2% - Some High School or Less
• 45.2% - Lived in NC entire Life
• 25.7% - > 20years
• 12.3% - 11-20 years
• 16.2% - < 10 years