Poll: Mail-in ballots receive support from Pa.’s registered voters | The Numbers Racket

More than half of Pennsylvania’s registered voters support the use of mail-in ballots in the Nov. 3 election, according to the latest Franklin and Marshall College Poll. 

Conducted between Sept. 14-20, 2020, the poll surveyed 625 registered voters in Pennsylvania, including 296 Democrats, 250 Republicans and 79 Independents.

The sample was 49 percent male and 51 percent female. The poll has a 6.5 percent margin of error.

The Issues

25 … the percentage of respondents who said COVID-19 is the most important problem facing Pennsylvania today. 

15 … the percentage of respondents who said government, politicians are the most important problems facing Pennsylvania today. 

14 … the percentage of respondents who said unemployment, personal finances are the most important problems facing Pennsylvania today. 

10 … the percentage of respondents who said economy, finances are the most important problems facing Pennsylvania today. 

7 … the percentage of respondents who said they do not know what the most important problem facing Pennsylvania today is. 

6 … the percentage of respondents who said other. 

3 … the percentage of respondents who said education, school are the most important problems facing Pennsylvania today. 

Voting and Mail-in Ballots

The poll found that 58 percent of respondents strongly favor or somewhat favor the use of mail-in ballots. Thirty-eight percent of respondents said they strongly oppose or somewhat oppose the use of mail-in ballots, and four percent said they did not know. 

The proposals granting extended processing and acceptance deadlines for mail-in ballots were also seen favorably by Pennsylvania voters. 

According to the poll:

Forty-nine percent of respondents strongly favor allowing counties to start processing ballots 21 days before the election rather than at 7 a.m. on Election Day. Another 19 percent somewhat favor the proposal, while 27 percent said they strongly or somewhat opposed the measure. 

Forty-two percent of respondents strongly favor allowing counties to count eligible ballots postmarked by election day and received by the Friday following election day. Another 16 percent somewhat favor the proposal, while 38 percent said they strongly or somewhat oppose it. 

Lastly, 75 percent of respondents said they strongly favor or somewhat favor requiring counties to send mail-in ballots to voters who request them at least one month before the election rather than two weeks before, as is now required. Just 21 percent of respondents said they strongly or somewhat oppose the measure. 

Fifty-nine percent of respondents said they are very or somewhat confident in the tabulated vote count in Pennsylvania being accurate if mail-in voting is widely used. Forty percent said they were not very confident or not confident at all that the tabulated vote count would be accurate if mail-in voting is widely used.