Post-Election Polling shows that American Voters Strongly Support Proactive Environmental Policies

Voters prefer elected officials and federal nominees with strong environmental commitment; view clean air, water as top-tier concerns.

Bipartisan polling conducted immediately following the 2000 election reveals support for environmental protection. Republicans, Democrats and Independents support stronger, better enforced environmental and public health protections. American voters rate clean air and water as a top-tier concern, second only to education and health care. In addition, voters expect elected officials and political appointees to work to protect clean air, safe water and other important environmental issues.

The bipartisan poll was commissioned by the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund following the 2000 election, November 12-19, 2000. Greenberg-Quinlan Research, Inc., a Democratic polling firm, and The Tarrance Group, Inc., a Republican polling firm, conducted a telephone survey of 1,200 registered voters, 1,092 of whom actually voted on Election Day. The margin of error for a random sample of this type is +/-2.8% in 95 out of 100 cases.

Clean air and water rank as top-tier concerns among voters. Clean air and water (69 percent) rank in the top three concerns of issues tested, just behind education (76 percent) and health care (75 percent); and higher than several other high profile political issues like taxes (60 percent) and Social Security/Medicare (67 percent).

Click here to download the complete PDF version of the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund Post Election Poll