METHODOLOGY: Tel Opinion Research of Alexandria, Va., conducted the poll on April 9-10 with 800 registered voters, who
voted in the 2002, 2004 or 2006 general election or were newly registered voters since 2006. The voters were interviewed using live callers. The poll has a margin of error of +-3.7 percent.
1. Affiliation
Democrat 51%
Republican 37%
Unaffiliated 12%
2. Do you feel things in North Carolina are generally headed
in the right direction or have gotten off on the wrong track?
Right direction 34%
Wrong track 51%
Not sure 15%
3. Which of the following issues or programs needs the most
attention from state government:
Lower healthcare costs 19%
Improve public education 18%
Create jobs/improve economy 23%
Hold down taxes 12%
Improve roads/highways 4%
Government corruption 6%
Control immigration 15%
Not sure 3%
4. If the election for state legislature were held today, would
you be voting:
Democratic 42%
Republican 35%
Neither 4%
Not sure 19%
5. Thinking about national issues, do you approve or
disapprove of the job George W. Bush is doing as president?
Strongly approve 16%
Somewhat approve 24%
Somewhat disapprove 15%
Strongly disapprove 41%
Not sure 5%
6. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Congress is
doing?
Strongly approve 2%
Somewhat approve 19%
Somewhat disapprove 30%
Strongly disapprove 39%
Not sure 10%
7. If you were to vote in the May primary election for
president and/or governor, would you be voting in the
Democratic or Republican primaries?
Democratic 34%
Republican 40%
Not sure 25%
8. If the Democratic primary election for president were held
today, which of the following Democrats would you vote for:
Hillary Clinton 27%
Barack Obama 45%
Not sure 28%
9. If the election for president were held today and the
candidates were Hillary Clinton and John McCain, for
whom would you be voting?
Hillary Clinton 37%
John McCain 50%
Not sure 13%
10. If the election for president were held today and the
candidates were Barack Obama and John McCain, for whom
would you be voting?
Barack Obama 39%
John McCain 48%
Not sure 13%
11. Turning your attention to state issues, if the Democratic
primary for governor were held today, would you be voting
for:
Richard Moore 37%
Beverly Perdue 36%
Not sure 28%
12. Turning your attention to state issues, if the Republican
primary for governor were held today, would you be voting
for:
Pat McCrory 28%
Fred Smith 19%
Bob Orr 4%
Bill Graham 5%
Not sure 44%
13. When you think about the economy, which of the
following is your biggest concern:
Lack of jobs 23%
Food prices 7%
High fuel costs 44%
High taxes 18%
Fear of home foreclosures 4%
Not sure 4%
14. To help stimulate the economy, is it more important to:
Cut taxes 73%
Increase state spending 14%
Not sure 13%
15. Do you think the financial outlook for you and your
family will be better, worse or about the same one year from
now?
Better 28%
Worse 19%
About the same 46%
Not sure 6%
16. Do you believe taxes in North Carolina are too high, too
low or just about right for the services you receive?
Too high 66%
Too low 2%
About right 29%
Not sure 3%
17. This November many North Carolina counties will
place a referendum on the ballot increasing the county sales
tax by 1/4 cent. Regardless of the proposed use of this tax
increase, will you support or oppose it?
Support 23%
Oppose 69%
Not sure 9%
18. A North Carolina county is spending $100,000 of
taxpayer dollars to promote a referendum increasing the
land transfer tax. Do you support or oppose this type of
expenditure?
Support 7%
Oppose 77%
Not sure 16%
19. On the issue of immigration, do you think businesses
should be required by law to verify the legal status of anyone
they employ?
Yes 91%
No 5%
Not sure 4%
20. Do you support giving law enforcement officers the
technology needed to confirm the identity and legal status of
a driver who does not possess a valid driver’s license?
Yes 91%
No 5%
Not sure 4%
21. Do you support a mandatory 25-year prison sentence for
a person convicted of molesting a child?
Yes 83%
No 10%
Not sure 7%
22. Do you support the death penalty in North Carolina?
Yes 60%
No 27%
Not sure 12%
23. If a woman is carrying a viable fetus and she is murdered,
should there be one or two murder charges?
One 12%
Two 82%
Not sure 7%
24. Which of the following is the most important issue
facing transportation in North Carolina today:
Gas prices 63%
Public transportation 11%
Road conditions/quality 13%
Traffic congestion 11%
Not sure 2%
25. Would you support or oppose increasing taxes $150
million a year to create a $2 billion fund for the purpose
of building light rail and other mass transit projects in
Charlotte and the Triangle?
Support 28%
Oppose 60%
Not sure 12%
26. If a $2 billion transportation bond for bridge repair and
road construction were on the November ballot, would you
vote for or against it?
For 55%
Against 34%
Not sure 11%
27. Do you think funds used for transportation should be
part of the general fund like all other state programs or be
kept in a separate fund?
Part of general fund 26%
Kept in separate fund 56%
Not sure 19%
28. Which of the following is the best way to finance new
transportation projects in the state:
Raise taxes/capital costs 4%
Companies pay costs/tolls 21%
Change distribution 31%
Issue highway bonds 25%
Not sure 18%
29. To make government more transparent or open to the
public, would you support or oppose each of the following:
prohibiting state and local government officials from
deleting all e-mails from government computers?
Support 51%
Oppose 35%
Not sure 15%
30. Requiring state and local governments to make budgets
readily available and searchable by the public on the
Internet?
Support 78%
Oppose 12%
Not sure 9%
31. Requiring state and local governments to place all
contracts on Web sites that are accessible to the public?
Support 79%
Oppose 12%
Not sure 9%
32. Age group
18-34 8%
35-44 12%
45-54 17%
55-64 24%
65+ 39%
33. Political philosophy
Very liberal 6%
Somewhat liberal 12%
Somewhat conservative 23%
Very conservative 21%
Moderate 34%
Not sure 3%
34. Regardless of your party registration, do you:
Always vote Democrat 16%
Vote Dem. more than Rep. 24%
Vote Rep. more than Dem. 27%
Always vote Republican 10%
Both equally/split ticket 19%
Not sure 3%
35. Education
Less than high school graduate 6%
High school graduate 28%
2-yr. college/technical 29%
4-yr. college graduate 24%
Post graduate 14%
36. In your current employment status, are you:
Self-employed 12%
Working for a private company 25%
Work for government 10%
Spouse (housewife) 9%
Retired 42%
Unemployed 3%
37. National heritage
Caucasian 79%
African-American 17%
Hispanic 1%
Native American 2%
Asian 0%
Other 2%
38. Would you tell me what is your religious affiliation?
Protestant 34%
Evangelical Christian 14%
Catholic 11%
Baptist 28%
Jewish 1%
Muslim 0%
Something else 13%
39. Gender
Male 48%
Female 52%
40. Geographic area
Charlotte 20%
Western 13%
Piedmont Triad 21%
Triangle 21%
Northeast 12%
Southeast 14%
41. Voting history
New 6%
One of three 17%
Two of three 23%
Three of three 54%