A new Elon University Poll shows 42 percent of North Carolinians lack confidence in state House Speaker Jim Black, and 40 percent say he should resign from office. The poll also found support for a state lottery, which officially started March 30.
The poll, conducted April 2-6 by the Elon University Institute for Politics and Public Affairs, surveyed 677 North Carolina residents. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percent.
Forty percent of North Carolinians believe Black should resign from office, up from 30 percent in a February Elon University Poll. Eighteen percent said Black should remain in office, while 42 percent said they weren’t sure or were not familiar with the situation. Black’s campaign is under investigation for potential campaign finance violations, and Black’s former political director and others are being investigated for possible violations of state lobbying laws.
“These numbers indicate that more and more people are becoming disenchanted with the circumstances surrounding Jim Black,” said Hunter Bacot, director of the Elon University Poll. “But despite the ongoing investigation of Speaker Black, many citizens claim they don’t know whether he should resign or remain in office, which can be to his advantage.”
Support for a state lottery, which started selling instant-win scratch tickets March 30, remained consistent with previous polls. Sixty-eight percent of citizens said they support a lottery, while 16 percent oppose the lottery. Five Elon University Polls since March 2003 have measured support for the lottery between 67 and 69 percent.
Forty-eight percent of respondents said they plan to play the state lottery. Twenty-five percent of those polled said they had already played the state lottery, and 17 percent of those who had already played said they had played more than six times.
The poll also surveyed citizen opinion about the most important issues facing North Carolina. Twenty-seven percent said education was the most important issue, while 16 percent listed economic issues as most important. Fourteen percent said immigration was the top issue, while five percent each said taxes and gas prices were key issues.
The Elon University Poll has conducted several polls annually since 2000. The non-partisan Elon University Poll conducts frequent scientific telephone polls on issues of importance citizens. The poll results are shared with media, citizens and researchers to facilitate representative democracy and public policy making through the better understanding of the opinions and needs of citizens in the state and region.
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