As the United States closes in on the 2020 election, Socratic Technologies’ omnibus survey examined consumers’ concerns and behaviors toward activities to mitigate the spread of coronavirus and analyzed the results by political affiliation.
Similar to research conducted by the Pew Research Center in June, Socratic’s omnibus survey found there is a deep chasm between party affiliation and coronavirus concerns, with those identifying themselves as Republicans expressing more comfort participating in social activities and gathering in large groups than Democrats. These results related to lifestyle and routines appear to carry into more general topics as well. Democrats who responded were much more likely to express concern with the economy, healthcare and the government’s role in managing the response to COVID-19 than Republican respondents were. The omnibus findings are supported by larger research that has been published where mapping and trends of the early onset of COVID saw the highest infections in dense urban corridors which have more registered Democrats and historically vote Democrat.
Taken as a whole, results suggest COVID will likely remain a divisive issue in the near future as Republicans push for a return to pre-COVID routines and Democrats focus on a more cautionary approach. Based on these results, COVID is likely to play a significant role in the upcoming election cycle; each candidate at the federal, state and local level should be prepared to express their position and thoughts regarding the best approach to the pandemic.
