Publication date: January 20, 2022
Written by: Stefani Buhajla
The Center for Excellence in Polling recently surveyed South Carolina voters to gauge their opinions on election integrity, health care, and welfare reform.
Transparency and security in elections are popular
Survey responses indicate that South Carolinians support measures to protect voters and the security of their ballots. More than half of all likely voters support requiring that someone assisting voters with filling out ballots be a close relative or legally designated representative of the voter they are assisting (52%).
Voters of all political stripes also show broad support for reforms that will improve transparency among ballot counting and polling center operations:
71%
support requiring manual counting to begin immediately when the polls close and continue without pause until the counting is complete. This includes more than half of all Democrats (59%).
72%
support allowing the state legislature to compel election officials to carry out all the legally required duties associated with their job.
South Carolina supports expanding telehealth options
When it comes to health care, South Carolina voters display broad support for reforms that will improve access.
61%
support allowing hospitals to open new facilities or expand capacity without having to obtain special permission to do so from the state.
Telehealth is highly favored by Democrats. Nearly three-quarters of likely Democrat voters in the state support allowing patients in South Carolina to use telehealth services to access health care providers who are in another state (74%). Democrat support for telehealth is markedly higher than Republicans (60%) and Independents (61%), presenting ample opportunity to pass bipartisan legislation this session.
Voters favor program integrity in welfare
South Carolina voters also support measures that will ensure those receiving food stamp benefits are truly eligible. More than half support requiring able-bodied, working-age adults without dependents to participate in a state-administered education and training program as a condition for eligibility for food stamps (64%).
Requiring able-bodied individuals with no dependents to participate in a state-administered education and training program as a condition for eligibility for food stamps is especially popular among Independents, with 75% saying they support such a measure.
Voters also support other measures that would protect food stamp benefits from fraud and abuse. It is notable that more than half of all Democrats support each of these reforms, as well.
76%
support checking food stamp applicants’ financial assets, such as expensive homes and cars, to make sure they are truly eligible for benefits.
78%
of all likely voters, including 63% of all Democrats, support checking eligibility for people on welfare more frequently and with better technology to ensure those receiving benefits are still eligible.
83%
support checking out-of-state welfare rolls at least monthly to ensure recipients in South Carolina are not already receiving benefits in another state. This includes nearly three-quarters of Democrats (72%) and a majority of Independents (87%).