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

8-10 4-7 1-3 Don't Know

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60% 54.3%

39.3%

5.3%

1.0%

N=8-10 Level of

Interest4-7 Level of

Interest1-3 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

Very

Liber

al

Smwht L

iber

al

Moder

ate

Smwht C

onserv

ativ

e

Very

Conserv

ativ

e

DK/Ref

use0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

9.3%11.2%

32.2%

19.5%

23.7%

4.2%

N=Very

LiberalSomewhat

LiberalModerate

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

Right Wrong Dk/Refused0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

49.2%

31.0%

19.8%

N=Right

DirectionWrong

DirectionDon'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)

Jobs U

nemployment

The Economy

Education/Q

uality

Taxes

Budget Deficit

Gun Control

Health In

sura

nce

School S

afety/S

ecurit

y0%

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?

Economic Social Moral Foreign Affairs Urban Don't Know/Refused0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%58.0%

20.7%

10.8%

3.0% 3.0%4.5%

Issues of Interest continued…

Economic Social Moral Foreign Affairs Urban0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

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.

Sales Tax Income Tax DK/Refused0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

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.”

Favor Opposed DK/Refused0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

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.”

Favorable Unfavorable No Opinion0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

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

“Eliminating tax deductions to charities, churches and other non-profits.”

Favorable Unfavorable No Opinion0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

30.2%

65.0%

4.8%

Favor Opposed DK/Refused

Republican 27.4% 70.6% 2.0%Democrat 32.6% 61.0% 6.4%Unaffiliated 28.8% 64.8% 6.4%Liberal 31.7% 59.3% 8.9%Moderate 28.5% 66.8% 4.7%Conservative 30.1% 67.2% 2.7%Rural 29.2% 65.2% 5.6%Suburban 32.2% 65.0% 2.8%Urban 25.8% 67.2% 7.0%Male 29.9% 67.7% 2.4%Female 30.4% 62.5% 7.1%

Tax Reform

“Having a new state sales tax on food and groceries in order to lower your state income tax.”

Favorable Unfavorable No Opinion0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

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.

Expan

d Sal

es T

ax

Elimin

ate

Inco

me

Tax/ C

orpora

te

Elimin

ate

Deduca

tion/C

hariti

es

Sales

Tax

on F

ood

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

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.

Expand Sales Tax

Spending Cuts DK/ Refusedx0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

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

Don't Have Other Internet Phone Provider

Antenna Cable Satellite TV0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

0.8% 2.0% 0.80% 4.00%6.30%

58.20%

26.80%

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

Daytime/Soaps HGTV/Cooking PBS Sports Movie Channels

Primetime Local News National CNN/FOX

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

1.5%

5.0%

5.0%

13.9% 4.5%

20.9%

24.9%

17.4%

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