A statewide survey of 800 adults conducted between February 24-March 6, 2009 found Texans remain negative about the national economy and their personal economic situation, but are not strongly engaged in the run up to the 2010 election.
The survey found that 81% of those polled said the country was worse off than a year ago, down somewhat from the October response of 88%. Texans' perceptions of their individual economic situation also eased slightly but continued to reflect economic difficulties, with 41% saying they were worse off than a year ago, 42% saying they were about the same, and 17% saying they were better off.
Texans were asked about several issues being discussed in the 81st Texas Legislature (currently convened in Austin), as well as their initial views of the candidates emerging in the early stages of the 2010 statewide races.
Among the highlights of the results:
The survey found strong support (69%) for requiring voters to present a photo identification when casting their ballots. In a separate item, 42% incorrectly identified a statement that voters are currently required to present a photo ID in order to vote as "true." Conversely, 49% correctly identified the statement as false, and 9% said they didn't know.
When asked if they supported or opposed reinstating legislative control over tuition rates at Texas public colleges and universities, 48% expressed support, 26% were opposed, and 27% didn't know. In a separate question, 61% said that the amount of state revenue used to make higher education more affordable should be increased.
When presented with a range of policy proposals related to gambling and gaming, allowing full casino gambling was the most popular response (40%). Leaving current gambling laws unchanged was the second most-popular option, garnering 16% support.
Among respondents who said they intended to vote in the Republican primary in 2010, probable candidate US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison led Governor Rick Perry 36%-30%, with 11% saying they would support someone else and a substantial 24% undecided. The margin of error on this sub-sample of declared Republican primary voters was 5.7 percent. (The Democratic field had not taken shape at the time the survey was designed.)
A set of items asked respondents to rate the likelihood they would vote for each of the six Republicans and two Democrats currently expressing interest in running for the U.S. Senate seat occupied by Kay Bailey Hutchison should she vacate the office to run for governor. In head-to-head match ups constructed from these data, Republicans enjoyed advantages in most of the match ups, though the numbers of undecided voters was substantial and in many cases higher than the preferred candidate, suggesting (unsurprisingly) that many Texans have yet to consider a race that is currently hypothetical.
A more comprehensive set of results can be reviewed in the summary document found in the "More Info" box to the right.
Additional data, graphs, and information will be posted here as they are developed, including an SPSS file, survey code book, and cross tabs.
