CHARLESTON - A weekend poll of likely West Virginia voters shows strong support for Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin's opposition to two controversial proposals - sweeping HR1/S1 election law bills and ending the filibuster.
Commissioned by The West Virginia Record, the poll found that voters agree with Manchin on both proposals by a margin of 2-1.
The Senate is expected to vote Tuesday on an election law bill that would radically transform voting and election laws in the U.S. It would also create public funding for political campaigns, eliminate the requirements for voter IDs, and allow voting for felons in every state, among other things.
Manchin is the only Democrat who has said he will not go along with his party's push to nationalize election laws.
"I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy, and for that reason, I will vote against the For the People Act," Manchin wrote June 6 in an op-ed published by the Charleston Gazette-Mail. "Furthermore, I will not vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster."
Nearly two-thirds (63%) of West Virginia voters oppose HR1/S1. Overall, 52% strongly agree with Manchin’s opposition to the measures, with Republicans (88% total agree) and Independents (66% total agree) united in opposition to the pending legislation.
On the filibuster question, 61% of voters agree with Manchin’s opposition to weakening and/or eliminating the filibuster rule in the Senate, with half (50%) strongly agreeing with his stance. Furthermore, 85% of Republicans, 65% of Independents, and 32% of Democrats stand behind Manchin’s position.
The poll was conducted by Illinois-based ARW Strategies.
“The survey reflects strong support across West Virginia on the S1 election reform bill and on changing the filibuster rule," said ARW Strategies principal Andrew Weissert. "It’s clear that Senator Manchin knows his constituency well on these issues.”
About the poll
Five hundred likely voters from across the state ranging in age from 18 to 66-plus were polled between June 18-20. The margin of error is 4.38 percent.
Other findings:
-90% said they would definitely vote in next year's mid-term elections for U.S. senator, governor and other local offices.
-52% were female; 48% were male.
-40% identified as Republican; 36% as Democrats and 25% as Independent.
-50% considered themselves conservative; 25% liberal and 25% moderate.