LibGuides: COVID-19 Community Archive: Local Polling

September 2021

Granite Staters Divided on Employer Vaccine Mandate; Nearly All Unvaccinated Will Leave Job if Shot Required 9/21/2021 Granite Staters are divided over President Biden's plan to require large employers to ensure employees are vaccinated against COVID-19 or are tested weekly. Slim majorities support requiring healthcare workers and federal workers and contractors to be vaccinated while support is higher for requiring employers to provide paid time off for vaccinations. Just under one in five New Hampshire adults say they will not get a COVID-19 vaccine and nearly all of these individuals say they would leave their job if vaccination were required. Face mask usage is unchanged since June in the state but stress related to the pandemic has increased. Many Granite Staters expect the COVID-19 situation to get worse rather than better over the next six months.
Granite Staters Feel Less Safe Than Before 9/11 But More Concerned With Other Calamities Than Foreign Terrorism 9/22/2021 Nearly half of New Hampshire residents feel less safe than they did before the September 11th terrorist attacks, but state residents are more concerned about domestic terrorism, mass shootings, natural disasters, and COVID-19 than they are about foreign terrorism. As in August, more than half of Granite Staters disapprove of President Biden's overall job performance, weighed down by low approval of Biden's handling of foreign affairs.
Sununu's Handling of COVID-19 & Overall Job Performance Ratings Continue to Slide 9/23/2021 Approval of Chris Sununu's overall performance as Governor, as well as his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, have continued their summer slide. Sununu’s personal favorability rating has also continued to decline. For the ﬁrst time in nearly two decades of Granite State Polls, less than half of Granite Staters think the state is headed in the right direction. Residents most frequently cite COVID-19 as the most important problem facing the state, while others mention jobs, the economy, or housing.

June 2021

Sununu Still Popular; Granite Staters Oppose Critical Race Theory Ban, Divided on 24-Week Abortion Ban 6/23/2021 Approval of Governor Chris Sununu's overall job performance and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic remain high in New Hampshire. Half of Granite Staters oppose a ban on "critical race theory" in the state, with most Democrats adamantly opposed but a majority of Republicans and Independents supporting such a ban. State residents are about evenly divided in their opinion of a ban on abortion after twenty-four weeks.
Return to Normalcy in NH: Economic Optimism, Less COVID-19 Stress & Mask Usage Drops 6/24/2021 Granite Staters are more conﬁdent that the state will recover economically from the pandemic soon. Mask usage in the state has declined considerably since May, but those who are vaccinated remain more likely than those who are not vaccinated to say they still wear a mask. A majority of New Hampshire residents say they are experiencing low levels of stress from the COVID-19 pandemic, dramatically lower than the high levels of stress seen last year.
One-Quarter of NH Residents & Nearly Half of Trump Voters Still Unlikely to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine 6/25/2021 Seven in ten New Hampshire residents report having been vaccinated against COVID-19, a very small percentage still plan to get vaccinated, but a quarter don't plan to get vaccinated. Those who voted for Donald Trump are more than ﬁve times as likely as Biden voters to say they don't plan to get vaccinated. Among those who are not vaccinated, very few would change their mind even if advised to by their doctor or family or if the vaccine were required by their employer.
Most in NH Support Ending Additional Unemployment Payments; Pay Rises, But So Do Work Responsibilities 6/28/2021 Nearly two-thirds of New Hampshire residents support Governor Sununu's decision to end additional unemployment benefits and one-third believe it will do a lot to ease the labor shortage in the state. More than four in ten working Granite Staters have seen their pay increase at work over the past year, but six in ten say their responsibilities have increased and one-third have seen their hours increase. Nearly a quarter of working state residents are likely to look for a new job in the next year but less than half are confident they would be able to find a new job close to affordable housing or one with the pay they feel they deserve.

March 2021

Biden Approval Holds Steady; Nearly Half of Granite Staters Support Filibuster Reform 3/23/2021 President Joe Biden remains more popular in New Hampshire than former President Donald Trump and a majority approve of Biden's job performance. Perceptions of Trump among Republicans have rebounded somewhat since January and two-thirds of Republicans in the Granite State would like him to run for President again in 2024. Nearly half of Granite Staters want the Senate's filibuster rule to be eliminated entirely or changed to require senators to continue speaking in order to continue a filibuster.
Granite Staters Support Stand Your Ground Expansion, Right-To-Work; Oppose Vouchers and Life-Sentence Reform 3/24/2021 New Hampshire residents support a bill to expand the state's "stand your ground" use of force law to include defending oneself in a vehicle. A plurality support a "right-to-work" bill and a bill prohibiting abortion after 24 weeks. A voucher system for education funding and a bill ending life-without-parole sentences in the state are not supported. Governor Chris Sununu's job approval and personal popularity have dipped since February but remain high.
One or Two-Dose Vaccine? Most in NH Will Take Either 3/25/2021 One-third of Granite Staters report receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including more than four in five residents aged 65 and older, but about one-quarter say they will probably or definitely not get vaccinated. The vast majority of those who have received a shot report mild side effects or none at all. About half of those who plan to get vaccinated have a preferred vaccine, but most would take whatever vaccine was available if they could not get their preferred one. More than three-quarters of those who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or signed up for one (prior to 3/22) say scheduling the appointment was easy.
Unvaccinated Granite Staters More Anxious and Depressed Than Vaccinated 3/26/2021 New Hampshire residents are less depressed than they were in December while feelings of anxiety are unchanged. However, those who have not yet been vaccinated are more than twice as likely as those who have been vaccinated to report feelings of anxiety and depression.
NH Slowly Returning to Normal; Most Plan to Spend More Post-Pandemic 3/26/2021 Most New Hampshire residents are comfortable going to a restaurant and getting their hair done but many remain uncomfortable going to places like bars, gyms, and movie theaters. Many Granite Staters anticipate spending more on visits to theme parks, museums, outdoor recreation, and hotels once the pandemic is over. Half plan to spend all or most of their stimulus check rather than save it, particularly middle and lower income households.

August 2021

Delta Variant Has Little Effect on COVID Vaccination in NH; Majority Support Allowing Employer Vaccine Mandates 8/25/2021 One in ﬁve New Hampshire adults continue to say they will not get a COVID-19 vaccine. Those who do not plan to get vaccinated are far less likely than earlier in the year to doubt the threat of COVID-19, but are more dubious about the eﬃcacy of the vaccine and very few say the Delta variant will encourage them to get vaccinated. A majority support employers being allowed to mandate vaccinations, but nearly half of the vaccine-resistant say they would leave their job if their employer mandated vaccination. Most support allowing local school districts to determine whether students and staﬀ will be required to wear masks in schools.
Consumer Confidence in New Hampshire Slumps 8/26/2021 After rebounding somewhat in May, consumer confidence in New Hampshire has slumped. Granite Staters' assessment of their current and future household ﬁnances have declined, driven by record high pessimism among Republicans.

May 2021

Granite Staters Increasingly Comfortable in Public; Majority Support Vaccine Mandate in Colleges & High Schools 5/19/2021 Majorities of New Hampshire residents support requiring students at public universities, colleges, and high schools in the state to be vaccinated in order to attend school in-person. State residents are increasingly comfortable participating in activities in public, with large increases since March in the number comfortable eating indoors at restaurants. Despite this, Granite Staters report only slightly lower stress stemming from COVID-19 than in December and mask usage has declined only slightly since December when the mask mandate was still in place.
Vaccinated NH Residents Increasing, Those Resistant Not Likely to Get Vaccinated 5/20/2021 Nearly three-quarters of adults in New Hampshire are at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19 but nearly all of those who are not say they don't plan get vaccinated.
Approval of Biden's Overall Job Performance, Handling of COVID-19, Largely Unchanged in NH 5/21/2021 New Hampshire residents remain divided about Joe Biden's job performance as President but approve of his handling of COVID-19. Nearly all Democrats and six in ten Independents approve of Biden's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic but only one in five Republicans agree.
Granite Staters' Short-Term Economic Outlook Improves, But Long-Term Fears Remain 5/24/2021 After falling to record lows in February, consumer confidence has rebounded in New Hampshire. More than half of Granite Staters anticipate the state economy will recover to pre-pandemic levels within a year and residents are more likely to foresee good times for the state and national economies in the next twelve months. However, state residents remain pessimistic about the long-term outlook of the economy.
Approval of Sununu's COVID-19 Handling Rebounds in NH; Large Majority Support Marijuana Legalization 5/25/2021 Approval of Governor Chris Sununu's job performance remains high in New Hampshire and approval of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has rebounded since April. Majorities of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans support legalizing marijuana for recreational use and would approve of marijuana being sold at licensed retail outlets and taxed at levels similar to alcohol or tobacco.

February 2021

Granite Staters More Likely to Get Vaccinated for COVID-19, Confidence in Vaccine Increases 2/1/2021 Three-quarters of New Hampshire residents say they will almost certainly or probably get a COVID-19 vaccine or say they have already been vaccinated. Granite Staters are increasingly confident about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. Republicans are nearly twice as likely as they were in December to say they will be vaccinated when able but they remain far less likely to say so than Democrats. People who remain unwilling to be vaccinated are set in their opposition, as most indicate that recommendations from public health experts, political figures, or their friends and family will not change their mind.
Nearly Half of Granite State Seniors Say They Have Received at Least One Vaccine Dose, Minimal Side Effects Reported 2/26/2021 One in five New Hampshire residents - and nearly half of those aged 65 and older - report receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Most of those who have not been vaccinated plan to do so when it is available to them, but one quarter of state residents continue to say they will probably or definitely not get vaccinated. Nearly three-quarters of those who have received at least one dose say they had no side effects or mild side effects. Partisan differences in confidence in the vaccine and the trustworthiness of science agencies like the CDC have deepened since January.

July 2021

Biden's Job Approval Unchanged, Personal Favorability Falls Among Granite Staters 7/20/2021 New Hampshire residents are divided in their assessment of Joe Biden's handling of the economy, foreign affairs, and his overall job performance. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are less popular among Granite Staters than earlier in the year and a majority believe the country is on the wrong track.
Sununu Approval Slips, COVID Drops as Most Important Problem in NH 7/26/2021 Approval of Governor Chris Sununu's job performance in New Hampshire remains high but has slipped in recent months. Three-quarters approve of Sununu's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, but only one in ten believe it is the most important problem facing the state, far lower than earlier in the year. Granite Staters oppose abortion-related policies in the recently passed budget bill.

April 2021

Granite Staters Divided Over Ending Mask Mandate 4/21/2021 Nearly half of New Hampshire residents oppose Governor Sununu's decision to end the statewide mask mandate. Republicans are strongly in support but Democrats are adamantly opposed and Independents are divided. Granite Staters are comfortable going to a restaurant sitting outdoors or indoors or going to a barber shop or salon, but majorities are still uncomfortable going to a bar, gym, movie theater, stadium, or concert. Residents are optimistic about New Hampshire's economic recovery - two-thirds believe the economy will recover to pre-pandemic levels within twelve months.
Sununu Remains Popular After Lifting Mask Mandate 4/22/2021 Following his decision to end the statewide mask mandate in New Hampshire, approval of Chris Sununu's performance as governor remains high. His handling of COVID-19 has slipped somewhat, primarily among Democrats.
Vaccination Rate Jumps Among Granite Staters But Remaining Holdouts Unyielding 4/23/2021 Two-thirds of Granite Staters report having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Most who have not been vaccinated and have not scheduled an appointment say they will not get vaccinated. Those who don't plan to get vaccinated most frequently cite a lack of trust that the vaccine will be safe or will be effective or say they believe COVID-19 isn't a serious threat to their health. A majority who have not been vaccinated but plan to would prefer to receive the Pzifer-BioNTech vaccine but most would take whichever vaccine was available.
Biden Approval Holds Steady in NH; Most Do Not Want Trump or Biden to Run in 2024 4/26/2021 President Joe Biden's job approval rating in New Hampshire is holding steady. Only one-third of New Hampshire residents say they want Biden to run again in 2024 and even fewer want former President Donald Trump to run again.
Bipartisan Support for Scott; Most Vermonters Expect Lengthy Economic Recovery 4/27/2021 Three-quarters of Vermonters approve of how Governor Phil Scott is handling the pandemic and an equal margin approve of his overall job performance. Half of Vermont residents believe it will take at least twelve months for the Vermont economy to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

January 2021

Bipartisan Approval of Sununu; NH Headed in Right Direction 1/27/2021 Governor Chris Sununu continues to enjoy strong approval among state residents for his overall job performance as governor and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both Republicans and Democrats in New Hampshire believe the state is headed in the right direction.
Biden Begins Presidency With "Honeymoon" in NH, Mandate to Work With GOP & Deliver Stimulus Checks 1/26/2021 New Hampshire residents give newly-inaugurated President Joe Biden good marks for his handling of COVID-19 and his overall job performance so far. However, residents are split on whether Biden will be a successful president and whether the country will become more unified during his tenure in office. Most Granite Staters want Biden and Congressional Republicans to work with one another, even if it disappoints their bases. Majorities favor sending additional stimulus checks to individuals and support raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour.