Do you approve of the job Gov. Phil Scott has done handling the COVID-19 pandemic? What about issues related to race in Vermont? Given the coronavirus, do you favor or oppose K-12 schools opening this fall? How much trust and confidence do you have in your local law enforcement?The VPR–Vermont PBS 2020 Poll asked hundreds of Vermonters these questions and more. Find out where your neighbors stand on the issues.
Coverage & AnalysisTune in to VPR and Vermont PBS for coverage of the poll and the related issues:
- July 2020 VPR-Vermont PBS Poll: Big Support For Gov. Scott, Black Lives Matter And Masks
- Poll: Vermonters ‘Concerned’ As Small Businesses Grapple With Pandemic
- ‘Terrified About Money’: Poll Shows Most Vermonters’ Finances Affected By COVID
- Poll Shows Vermonters Have Mixed Responses To Law Enforcement And Race
- Poll Finds Vermonters Split Over Reopening Public Schools This Fall
- On Vermont Edition: VPR-Vermont PBS Poll Reveals Pandemic’s Toll On Finances, Mental Health
- Vermont This Week on Vermont PBS on Friday, Aug. 7
Note: This is the second of three polls conducted in 2020 by VPR and Vermont PBS.
The Poll Results: At-A-Glance
Q1. First, do you approve or disapprove of the job Governor Phil Scott has done managing the COVID-19 pandemic?
83% Approve12% Disapprove5% Not sure1% Refused603 Total Respondents
The full survey has a sampling error of 4%; this varies with the total respondents. See the Appendix below for the details on the sample and methods.
Q2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Governor Phil Scott has handled issues related to race in Vermont?
66% Approve17% Disapprove17% Not sure603 Total Respondents
Q3. To what extent are you concerned about contracting COVID-19?
22% Very concerned44% Somewhat concerned23% Not too concerned11% Not concerned at all0% No opinion/Refused603 Total Respondents
Q4. Do you personally know anyone who had contracted COVID-19?
40% Yes60% No0% Not Sure0% Refused603 Total Respondents
Q5. Would you support or oppose a statewide mandate to require wearing face masks in public?
76% Support22% Oppose2% Not sure/No opinion0% Refuse603 Total Respondents
Q6. To what extent are you concerned about people from out of state coming to Vermont who may spread the virus?
43% Very Concerned34% Somewhat concerned15% A little concerned7% Not concerned at all0% No opinion/Refuse603 Total Respondents
Q7. How much of a threat, if any, is the COVID-19 outbreak for your personal financial situation?
26% A major threat44% A minor threat30% Not a threat at all1% Not sure/Refused603 Total Respondents
Q8a. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, have you experienced trouble sleeping?
30% Yes70% No0% Not sure0% Refuse603 Total Respondents
Q8b. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, have you experienced increased anxiety?
49% Yes51% No0% Refuse603 Total Respondents
Q8c. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, have you experienced depression?
26% Yes74% No603 Total Respondents
Q8d. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, have you experienced loneliness?
30% Yes69% No0% Not sure603 Total Respondents
Q9. Which statement more closely matches your view: A. That the state of Vermont will open too quickly, risking greater harm to public health than necessary. – OR – B. That the state will not open quickly enough, risking greater harm to the economy than necessary.
56% Open too quickly26% Not open quickly enough14% Neither3% No opinion603 Total Respondents
Q10. Given the current state of the pandemic, do you favor or oppose re-opening K-12 schools this coming fall?
47% Favor42% Oppose11% Not sure/No opinion1% Refused603 Total Respondents
Q11. Given the current state of the pandemic, do you favor or oppose Vermont universities and colleges letting students come back to campus?
44% Favor50% Oppose6% Not sure/No opinion0% Refused603 Total Respondents
Q12. Considering the impact that the coronavirus has had on the Vermont state budget and the need to balance the budget, should the focus be more on cutting programs or on raising revenues?
28% More on cutting programs54% More on raising revenues10% Balance of both3% Neither6% No opinion603 Total Respondents
Q13. How did you use the federal relief payment that was sent out to individuals? Did you use it to pay living expenses, to purchase something that you otherwise would not have purchased, save it, or did you do something else?
43% Cover expenses5% Buy something new25% Save it10% Something else16% Did not receive a payment1% No opinion603 Total Respondents
Q14. Did the relief payment you received from the federal government make a big difference to your family, a small difference, or virtually no difference at all?
33% Big difference41% Small difference25% No difference1% Not sure511 Total Respondents
Q15. How concerned are you about the future of small businesses in Vermont?
67% Very concerned26% Somewhat concerned4% Not too concerned2% Not concerned at all0% No opinion/refused603 Total Respondents
Q16. How much trust and confidence do you have in your local law enforcement? This includes state and local police as well as county sheriffs.
34% A great deal of confidence27% Quite a lot of confidence28% Some confidence7% Very little confidence4% No confidence at all0% No opinion/Refused603 Total Respondents
Q17. Considering local and state level law enforcement in Vermont, to what extent, if any, do you think law enforcement in Vermont exhibit racial bias?
16% Police regularly discriminate against people of color33% Police occasionally discriminate against people of color29% Police rarely discriminate against people of color15% Police never discriminate against people of color6% Not sure/No opinion1% Refuse603 Total Respondents
Q18. To what extent do you think racism is a problem in Vermont today? Would you say it is a big problem, somewhat of a problem, a small problem, or no problem at all?
24% Big problem35% Somewhat problem25% Small problem15% No problem1% Not sure/No opinion603 Total Respondents
Q19. Do you support or oppose the Black Lives Matter movement?
66% Support25% Oppose7% Neither support nor oppose1% No opinion/Refused603 Total Respondents
Q20. Just your best guess, what percentage of Vermonters do you think identify as non-white?
16.89% Mean10.00% Median603 Total Respondents
Q21. How often do you interact with others who do not share your racial identity?
42% Frequently27% Occasionally16% Seldom13% Almost never1% Not sure/Refused603 Total Respondents
Q22. Did you see the video of the alleged murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer?
80% Yes19% No1% Don’t remember603 Total Respondents
Q23. Thinking about racial and ethnic diversity, would you consider your community to be a place that is welcoming to diversity or not?
81% Welcoming9% Not welcoming8% It depends2% Not sure1% Refused603 Total Respondents
Full Results, Method, Sampling Error & Survey
Download the Poll Data, Methodology, Sampling Error, Weighted Data & Survey Instrument
- Full Results XLS: By Demographic (1st tab), Spending Stimulus (2nd tab), Saw Video of Floyd Death (3rd tab), Mask Mandate (4th tab) and Emotional Impact (5th tab)
- Appendix A: MethodologyTable 1: Sampling ErrorTable 2: Representativeness of Weighted DataAppendix B: Survey Instrument
Attribution & Credit
Attribution
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- Maintain the integrity of the data and results
- Provide credit/attribution to the “VPR – Vermont PBS 2020 Poll” everywhere the data is used, e.g. broadcast, web, social media
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Credit
The VPR – Vermont PBS 2020 Poll is a collaboration between Vermont Public Radio and Vermont PBS and was made possible by our supporters. Braun Research conducted the poll under the direction of Dr. Richard Clark.