Poll: Happy People More Likely to Vote

image
Ted DowningTed Downing
Published: 09 Oct, 2012
1 min read

A survey released by 8Sages.com finds that among Arizona voters, Barack Obama has a slim lead over Mitt Romney in the Presidential race (43.2% Barack Obama, Mitt Romney 41.7%, and  Other/Undecided 15.0%).  

Dr. Leo Shapiro - Credit: MichaelChelich.com

Dr. Leo J. Shapiro interviewed 1,065 Arizona residents 10 consecutive days ending 25 September.  Shapiro’s research is nationally recognized for carefully constructed probes designed to minimize the common error created by bias questions.  Before Obama supporters start dancing in the desert, note that the poll finds the actual outcome remains uncertain. Obama’s support is higher among the 12% who said they do not plan to vote.  If they did vote, Obama would lead Romney 39.4% to 24.9% with 35.7% undecided.

Shapiro discovered dimensions of this presidential race that neither the Obama or Romney camp will find easy to accept.  Arizonan voters were asked whether they believe “the real problems facing the nation will not be solved no matter who is elected President.”  Among those who say they will vote, half did not feel their vote matters.

Probing deeper into the electorate’s psyche, Shapiro asks another unorthodox question -  does a desire to sustain their personal happiness influence the likelihood that someone will vote?   The survey found that among the 15.8 percent of Arizona residents who are happiest and, therefore have the most to lose if things go wrong with the nation, 94.1% plan to vote.  And visa versa.  Among those least happy (19%) who have the least to lose if things go wrong with the nation, 79.8% plan to vote.

Have both campaigns ignored what might be the most significant, local issue of all – an issue that the Founders set as a national goal - the pursuit of happiness?

You Might Also Like

Proposition 50 voter guide
California Prop 50: Partisan Power Play or Necessary Counterpunch?
November 4 marks a special election for what has become the most controversial ballot measure in California in recent memory: Proposition 50, which would circumvent congressional districts drawn by the state’s independent redistricting commission for a legislative-drawn map....
01 Oct, 2025
-
9 min read
court gavel.
Virtual Discussion: The Fight for Equal Independent Voting Rights Makes it to SCOTUS
Every major voting rights movement in U.S. history – whether successful or not – has intertwined with landmark litigation. This was the case for women’s suffrage. It was the case for civil rights. And it is the case in the ongoing effort to protect the right of all voters to have equal participation in taxpayer-funded elections – something millions of independent voters are denied across the U.S....
29 Sep, 2025
-
2 min read
Supreme Court building
SCOTUS Considers Challenge to Closed Primaries -- Here's Why It Is Such a Big Deal
In a dramatic step forward for litigation challenging closed primaries, the U.S. Supreme Court has indicated they are going to conference to discuss whether to grant a writ of certiorari to Polelle v. Florida Secretary of State; a case challenging Florida's closed primaries that Open Primaries has supported since its inception....
26 Sep, 2025
-
2 min read