Abdul-Hakim Shabazz: Hoosiers split on state, federal response to COVID-19

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb is getting high marks for the way he’s handled the COVID-19 outbreak; Donald Trump, not so much.

A recent online, scientific poll of more than 1,000 likely Hoosier voters shows a clear majority support how Holcomb and his administration have been dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak.

The poll conducted by Indy Politics and Change Research April 10-13 showed 63% of likely voters approved of how Holcomb was addressing COVID-19, while 23% disapproved and 12% were either neutral or had no opinion.

Voters were more split down the middle when it came to how they thought the president was doing: 49% approved and 45% disapproved. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

The poll also showed Hoosiers are very concerned about the pandemic, with a majority, 58%, saying they have very serious concerns and only 17% saying they have minor concerns or none at all.

The outbreak has also played a significant role in voters’ lives, with 14% saying they have lost their jobs or been laid off due to the outbreak, 13% saying they have lost income or hours, and 7% saying they’re afraid of losing their job or being laid off. Another 31% of voters said they feel secure in their jobs; the remainder said they’re not in the workforce or were already unemployed.

When it comes to measures the state has taken in response to the pandemic, voters are generally in support by significant margins of all measures taken. The stay-at-home order received the most backlash, with 81% in favor and 18% opposing.

The poll also showed COVID-19 is affecting the way Hoosiers think about certain issues.

It found 55% of respondents more likely to support remote learning and virtual schools, while 10% said they were less likely and 35% said it made no difference.

And 47% of respondents said they were more likely to support voting by mail because of the outbreak, but 36% said they were less likely. Also, 46% said they were more likely to support increasing the minimum wage, while 18% said they were less likely.

The poll also showed voters favored the state government’s enforcing regulations during the pandemic, rather than simply making recommendations or playing little to no role. In a forced-choice, 58% of voters said the state should enforce emergency regulations to keep people safe, while 38% said the state should make recommendations so people can decide how to keep themselves safe.

In other findings:

◗ A large majority of voters (70%) said they have very serious concerns about the lack of personal protective equipment for doctors and nurses.

◗ Nearly two-thirds said they have very serious concerns about companies going out of business due to the pandemic, as well as cuts to education, health care or infrastructure in Indiana.

◗ In comparison, 32% said they have very serious concerns about dying from the coronavirus disease.

The poll also looked at the races for president and governor. Trump led Joe Biden by a margin of 52% to 39%. Holcomb led Democratic challenger Dr. Woody Myers 45% to 25%, with 8% supporting Libertarian Don Rainwater.

About 54% of respondents said the state is on the right track, while only 49% thought the country was going in the right direction.•

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