LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Voting Laws – Border Crisis Blame – Favorability of Foreign Leaders

Your Daily Polling Update for Monday, April 5, 2021

BIDEN JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 54%
Same as last Wednesday

RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on six polls, ranging from 48% (Rasmussen) to 61% (Harvard-Harris). Biden’s disapproval rating averages 42% today (-1 from Wednesday).

VOTING LAWS
Among voters nationwide

Do you think it should be easier or harder for people to vote in American elections than it is currently? 
 
Easier: 41%
No change: 21%
Harder: 28%
 
RON’S COMMENT: Though voters are more likely to believe voting laws should be made easier than harder, there is no majority that has formed on this issue…. You can say that nearly half of all voters (49%) want either the status quo or laws that make voting harder. Of course, this also means that 62% do not want to make voting harder.
 
Should a photo ID be required to vote in-person, or should voters be able to cast a ballot without showing a photo ID? 
 
Photo ID should be required to vote in-person: 65% 
Voters should be able to vote without showing a photo ID: 24% 
 
RON’S COMMENT: A big majority of voters (65%) favor requiring photo IDs to vote––with 48% of Democrats, 87% of Republicans and 68% of Republicans agreeing. Also: 60% of Blacks and 61% of Hispanics favor requiring photo IDs to vote…. Democrats who oppose requiring photo IDs to vote will have a tough time selling their position to the electorate.
 
Should voters always be able to vote by mail, or should they only be able to vote by mail if they give officials a specific reason why they can’t vote in-person? 
 
Voters should always be able to vote by mail: 48% 
Voters should only be allowed to vote by mail if they can’t vote in-person: 43%
 
RON’S COMMENT: 72% of Democrats, 18% of Republicans and 40% of independents favor allowing voters to always vote by mail.
 
Should election officials send absentee ballots only to voters who request them, or should they send absentee ballots to every registered voter? 
 
Absentee ballots should be sent to voters who request them: 64% 
Absentee ballots should be sent to every registered voter: 25%

RON’S COMMENT: Voters are clear in their opposition to sending absentee ballots to every registered voter. By party: Only 39% of Democrats, 9% of Republicans and 21% of independents favor sending absentee ballots to every registered voter.

BORDER CRISIS BLAME
Among voters nationwide

How much blame do you think each of the following deserves for the situation at the border? 
 
A great deal of blame/some blame
The leaders of countries in Central America: 77% 
Congress: 75%
Migrants from Central America: 60% 
Joe Biden: 53%
Donald Trump: 48%

RON’S COMMENT: Heavy majorities of U.S. voters blame Congress and Central American leaders for the situation at the border. In third place are the migrants themselves. More voters now blame Biden than Trump….This poll also finds that 36% of U.S. voters approve of the way Biden is handling immigration, while 51% disapprove.

FAVORABILITY OF FOREIGN LEADERS
Among U.S. voters nationwide

Justin Trudeau: 59%/26% 
Boris Johnson: 55%/28%
Vladimir Putin: 13%/76% 
Xi Jinping: 11%/71% 
Kim Jong-un: 7%/84%
 
RON’S COMMENT: Most U.S. voters like Canada’s Trudeau and Britain’s Johnson. However, they overwhelmingly dislike the leaders of Russia, China and North Korea. Perhaps detest is a better word…. This poll also finds that 38% of U.S. voters approve of the way Biden is handling China, while 41% disapprove.

SOURCES
Presidential job rating average based on recent nationwide polls.
VOTING LAWS, BORDER CRISIS BLAME, FAVORABILITY OF FOREIGN LEADERS: The Economist/YouGov, March 27-30
 
Publication schedule: Lunchtime Politics publishes when important new polling data is available, usually at least once a week. When we get closer to the next round of elections, we will resume daily publication. Thanks to all our readers and best of health, Ron

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