Publication date: February 16, 2023
Written by: Sarah Coffey
The Center for Excellence in Polling recently surveyed likely voters in Wisconsin on important issues in the state. Voters expressed strong support for reforms that will preserve welfare for the truly needy, help Wisconsinites get back to work, and keep elections secure. They also find common ground when it comes to protecting tax dollars.
Voters support reforming welfare programs
Wisconsin voters of all political parties expressed strong support for reforms that will ensure unemployment benefits are a temporary measure, protected for those who are actively searching for a job.
Similarly, a strong majority also support the commonsense measure of cross-checking unemployment applications against existing data to verify eligibility (81%), including more than three-quarters of likely Democrats (76%) and Independents (84%). Other reforms are just as popular among Wisconsinites:
81%
… of likely voters support restricting individuals convicted of unemployment fraud from receiving unemployment payments for five years or until they repay the fraudulent payments.
80%
80% … support requiring public agencies to allow individuals who are required to work, train, or volunteer to remain eligible for welfare to volunteer at the agency to meet the work requirement.
Wisconsin voters also support reforms in welfare that would promote work, not dependency. A majority strongly support requiring able-bodied adults under 60 with no children under six to work, train, or volunteer at least part time as a condition of eligibility for food stamps (75%).
Further, reforms that help single-parent families are also highly favored: 71 percent of likely voters support requiring individuals to cooperate with the state’s attempt to collect child support as a condition of eligibility for food stamps.
They want elections to be secure
Wisconsinites support measures that would improve the security and transparency of elections. Overwhelmingly, likely voters in the state agree that individuals should have to be U.S. citizens to vote in state and local elections (85%). Republicans (96%), Democrats (71%), and Independents (88%) are all solidly of the same mind on this issue. More than half also support creating a special unit that investigates election law violations (64%).
Wisconsinites want their tax dollars protected, and their state income tax lowered
When it comes to tax dollars, likely voters in the Badger State also have strong—but similar—opinions. Nearly three-quarters support lowering the state income tax (73%). Republicans (78%) and Democrats (72%) have similar levels of support on this issue. More Democrats (64%) than Republicans (60%) oppose investing taxpayer money in banks and investment funds that make business decisions based on their political agenda—but Independents (69%) are most opposed to ESG criteria in investing.