Nearly 90% of voters in Mississippi are concerned with the coronavirus pandemic and the chances of themselves or someone in their family becoming infected. That’s according to the spring quarterly State of the State Survey conducted by Millsaps College and Chism Strategies.
Nathan Shrader is with Millsaps College in Jackson. He says more than two-thirds of Mississippians are also worried about being able to afford medical coverage for themselves and their families during the outbreak.
“Seventy percent of Mississippians are concerned more now than pre pandemic about affording healthcare costs and insurance expenses,” says Shrader.
At the same time, the survey results show fear over economic security is weighing heavily on Mississippi voters. Thousands of local businesses are closed due to concerns over the coronavirus and more than 63,000 people are reported unemployed.
Nathan Shrader with Millsaps College.
“Seventy-three percent say they believe this will lead us to a nationwide recession. And that number - that seventy-three percent - cuts across party affiliation, gender, age, race. That’s weighing heavily on people’s mind,” says Shrader.
The State of the State survey also finds more than 70% of voters are concerned about disruptions in the upcoming November elections due to the virus. The majority of the electorate now favors transitioning to a vote-by-mail system in November.
The survey was conducted from April 8-9, 2020 with a sample size of 508. The survey has a Margin of Error of +/-4.35%. Results were weighted to reflect voter turnout for the 2020 Mississippi elections.
