Poll: Most Think Illinois Heading In Wrong Direction
CARBONDALE, Ill. (CBS) - A new poll finds that 81.3 percent of Illinois voters say the state is headed in the wrong direction.
LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Mike Krauser Reports
Podcast
The poll indicated that 65.6 percent of those surveyed support a proposed constitutional amendment to allow for the recall of a sitting governor, compared with 27 percent who opposed it. That question will be put to voters on the Nov. 2 ballot, and institute visiting professor John Jackson said it looks like the proposition will "pass handily," according to a summary from SIU.
A total of 66.7 percent of respondents also said they would like to be able to recall other statewide elected officials, although there is no referendum for such a provision on the ballot.
Respondents also favored an open primary in Illinois, in which disclosure of a voter's party identification would not be required, by 74.3 percent, the summary said.
A majority of respondents were also in favor of public funding of judicial campaigns, but also favored placing limits on how much one person could contribute. Respondents also favored changing the way legislative districts are drawn up – a process now controlled by the political parties.
Institute director David Yepsen was quoted in the summery saying the poll "should give heart to reformers seeking to make changes in the way Illinois governs itself. The numbers also say something to political leaders about the depths of their unpopularity."
The telephone poll of 758 likely voters was taken Sept. 20-Oct. 10 and has an error margin of 3.5 percentage points.
The summary did not indicate whether the poll respondents were mostly from downstate Illinois or from the Chicago area.
Separately, another Paul Simon Institute survey of 1,000 registered Illinois voters released Tuesday showed Republican challenger Bill Brady ahead by almost 9 points over Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn. Brady won 38.4 percent of respondents, compared to 29.8 percent for Quinn, and single-digit amounts for three third-party challengers.
In the U.S. Senate race, Republican Mark Kirk is polling at 37.3 percent, compared with 36.8 percent for Democrat Alexi Giannolias, and single-digit totals for two third-party candidates.
(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
