These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
Say One Person's Vote Really Matters
Sunday, June 12, 2011
As the saying goes, "every vote counts," and voters overwhelmingly agree.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 83% of Likely U.S. Voters think one person's vote really matters. Eleven percent (11%) disagree and feel that each individual vote does not matter. (To see survey question wording, click here .)
In early April 2009 when American Adults were asked directly if their vote really matters, only two-thirds (66%) said it does.
While there were 169 million voters registered for the 2008 presidential election, 80% or more in virtually every demographic category believe one person's vote still counts.
But just 54% of voters now think American elections are fair . Fifty-three percent (53%) feel most members of Congress get reelected because election rules are rigged to benefit incumbents.
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 6-8, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology .
Only 23% of voters believe the federal government today has the consent of the governed .
Support remains high for requiring voters to show photo identification before being allowed to cast their ballots. An increasing number of states across the country are putting that requirement into law. By a 48% to 29% margin, voters think ineligible people voting is a more common problem than legitimate voters being denied their right to vote.
For the second week in a row, a generic Republican candidate edges President Obama 45% to 42% among Likely U.S. Voters in a hypothetical 2012 election matchup. In weekly surveys since the beginning of May, support for both the president and a generic Republican have remained in the narrow range of 42% to 45%.
Republicans hold a six-point lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, June 5.
However, a congressional race with an official Tea Party candidate in the running appears to be good news for Democrats. In a three-way congressional contest with a Tea Party candidate on the ballot, the Democrat picks up 40% of the vote. The Republican earns 21% support, while nearly as many (18%) favor the Tea Party candidate.