Publication date: January 17, 2022
Written by: Stefani Buhajla
The Center for Excellence in Polling recently surveyed likely Maryland voters on unemployment issues. Responses indicate that Marylanders largely support measures that will protect the state’s unemployment program from fraud and abuse.
67%
of all likely voters support requiring comprehensive annual audits of the state’s unemployment system and reporting the findings to the state legislature.
73%
support requiring the state to implement new website security measures to prevent unemployment agencies from being targeted with fraudulent applications for benefits.
76%
of all likely voters, including nearly three-quarters of Democrats (74%), support requiring the state to verify an individual’s identity prior to approving their application for unemployment benefits.
Survey results also show that Maryland voters are largely supportive of cross-checking unemployment rolls with public death records (66% support), new hire records (60% support), and prison records (75% support) to ensure individuals who are deceased, recently hired, or incarcerated are not fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits.