WASHINGTON, DC — New election night polling released today by Public Opinion Strategies shows the President’s position on immigration was a net negative with voters, and the Administration’s positions on providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, DACA and family separation at the border potentially pushed away key voter groups like Independent men and women and suburban women, groups that the President failed to score well with.

FWD.us President Todd Schulte issued the following statement:

“The Public Opinion Strategies poll makes clear that President Trump’s immigration policy was a political loser by a double-digit margin and cost him a substantial vote share. Voters across the political spectrum want to reform our nation’s immigration system, centered on a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.”

READ MORE: Key Findings from Election Night Polling (Public Opinion Strategies)

 

 

TO: FWD.US LEADERSHIP
FROM: NEIL NEWHOUSE – PUBLIC OPINION STRATEGIES
SUBJECT: KEY FINDINGS FROM ELECTION NIGHT POLLING
DATE: NOVEMBER 5, 2020

As you know, we just came out of the field with our election night poll of 800 voters. The poll was conducted on November 3, 2020 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.46%. The poll showed Vice President Biden leading President Trump by a margin of 51%-46%. The purpose of this memo is to briefly review the key findings of a few questions that FWD.us added to our election night poll.

KEY FINDINGS

1) By a 43%-33% margin voters said that President Trump’s position on the issue of immigration made them less likely to vote for him for President.
While Republicans said that the President’s position on immigration made them more likely to vote for him by a 67%-6% margin, the issue was a significant net negative among both Independents (27% more likely/48% less likely) and Democrats (4% more likely/76% less likely). Further, it was a significant net negative among suburban women (27% more likely/52% less likely).

2) By more than two-to-one, voters support Biden’s plan to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
By a 64%-27% margin, voters support Biden’s immigration plan over the President’s plan. They support Biden’s plan to allow undocumented immigrants to earn citizenship over a period of years as long as they pass a background test vs. Trump’s plan to deport as many undocumented immigrants as possible and provide no pathway to legal status.

3) Voters also agree with Joe Biden’s plan to continue DACA over President Trump’s plan to end the program by a two-to-one margin.
When asked whether they agree with “President Trump’s plan to end DACA…” or “Joe Biden’s plan to continue the DACA program…,” election day voters sided with the former Vice-President by 61%-31%. Fully 24% of GOP’ers said they supported Biden’s plan, along with 60% of Independent men (usually a strong GOP-leaning group).

4) Nearly two-thirds of voters oppose the Trump Administration’s family separation policy at the US/Mexico border.
By a 65%-24% margin, election day voters oppose the Trump Administration’s family separation policy. There are similar sub-group numbers to the DACA question, with 28% of GOP’ers opposing it, along with 61% of Independent men and 82% of Independent women.

Bottom Line
This election night polling data indicates that the President’s position on immigration was a net negative with voters and the Administration’s positions on providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, DACA and family separation at the border potentially pushed away key voter groups like Independent men and women and suburban women, groups that the President failed to score well with.