May 28, 2020: Thirty-nine percent (39%) of voters have a family member who has lost their primary income due to the government shutdowns of the economy. A Ballotpedia survey of 1,200 registered voters found that 57% have not experienced that challenge.[1]
The burden has not fallen evenly across all aspects of the economy. Among those who work in the private sector, 46% have a family member who has lost their primary income source. However, among government employees, that figure is just 25%. As for those who are retired, 18% have a family member who has lost their primary income.[1]
Fifty-six percent (56%) of Hispanic voters have experienced such loss along with 49% of black voters. That figure is just 33% among white voters.[1]
Those figures create particularly interesting challenges for Democrats since government-employed, black, and Hispanic voters make up a significant portion of their coalition. The different ways they have experienced the pandemic has created a divide on many issues between white and non-white Democrats.
For example, just 20% of white Democrats believe the lockdowns have done more harm than good. However, 38% of non-white Democrats believe that to be true.
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Coverage includes how federal, state, and local governments are responding, and the effects those responses are having on campaigns and elections. We document the plans for recovery put forth by states, localities, and others in a way that allows citizens, policymakers, influencers, pundits, and the nation's reporters to engage in fruitful comparisons about moving forward. We will curate the ongoing debates, as well as the political impact of the conversations.
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