- Inflation and the economy remain chief issues among Florida voters
- Less than a week until election day, 52 percent of Floridians say that inflation will be on their minds when they vote on Nov. 8th
- 65 percent of Floridians say that inflation has impacted their ability to pay essential bills while 67 percent claim that inflation has forced them to pull from savings
- 83 percent of voters state that controlling inflation should be the top regulatory priority of Congress and the federal government
A University of South Florida (USF) policy survey conducted between Oct. 14th and Oct. 23rd shows that rising inflation rates and economic pressures remain the leading issues ahead of midterm elections.
The poll, published on Thursday, postulates that a significant majority of Floridians have been severely impacted by the rising costs of goods and services across the past year.
65 percent of Floridians say that inflation has impacted their ability to pay essential bills, while 67 percent claim that inflation has forced them to draw down their savings.
Beyond bills and savings, 89 percent of respondents said that inflation impacted their grocery spending, 88 percent say that inflation has impacted their discretionary spending, and 68 percent say that inflation has impacted their travel plans.
Floridians attribute rising costs to a variety of sources, with more than a third believing that the Biden Administration’s policies are primarily responsible, while 19 percent attribute inflation primarily to the COVID-19 pandemic. A further 11 percent attribute the economic downturn to the War in Ukraine.
When asked to identify the issues that will impact their votes this Fall, 52 percent, a majority, responded with inflation.
A secondary poll, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies on behalf of the James Madison Institute in October, found that 42 percent of Floridians view inflation as the most important issue plaguing Floridians, trumping other issues such as immigration (9 percent) and gun control (8 percent).
83 percent of voters state that controlling inflation should be the top regulatory priority of Congress and the federal government.
“Voters in Florida are very clear; they’re concerned about the economy and inflation and believe acting on policies to break up American technology companies is not only unfair but will also increase prices on consumer goods,” said Robert Blizzard, a partner at Public Opinion Strategies. “Pursuing policies in Washington like antitrust is a lose-lose situation. Focusing on these policies could actually be detrimental for lawmakers seeking reelection.”
The USF poll also found that two-thirds of Floridians say that they have less money available for a personal emergency than they did 12 months ago.
Floridians also claim that wages have not adequately risen to match rates of inflation. Among income earners, 80 percent say that their wages have not kept up with the rising cost of goods and services over the past year.
The survey was conducted using a representative sample of 600 Floridians, with a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error +/- 4 percent.
Shortsighted voters are stupid to be focusing on the economy and inflation, both of which are cyclical and they come and they go. What does not come and go is Democracy. Lose it, and it is gone for good.