For Immediate Release Contact: John Sewell

April 20, 2020 601-974-1019

Coronavirus Pandemic Causing Deep Health,

Economic and Electoral Concerns in Mississippi
Trump Holds 11-point Lead; Voters Embrace Mail-in-Balloting for November

JACKSON—Mississippians are deeply concerned about the coronavirus pandemic and the
impact it is having on their health and safety as well as the economy and their communities. The
spring quarterly Millsaps College/Chism Strategies State of the State Survey finds nearly 90% of
Mississippi voters are very or somewhat concerned with the pandemic and the possibility of
themselves or someone in their family becoming ill. The survey finds Mississippians have seen
their lives significantly disrupted by the pandemic, with 83% reporting being somewhat or
significantly disrupted while nearly three-quarters are practicing 100% compliance with social
distancing and stay-at-home restrictions.

Overall, Mississippi voters tend to believe the federal, state and local governmental response to
the coronavirus outbreak has been handled in a way that protects the health and safety of
citizens. The survey finds voters approve of the federal government’s response 62% to 34%,
approve of the state government’s response 64% to 33%, and the response of their local
governments 66% to 31%.

Health and economic security remain high priorities for voters, as 73% believe the coronavirus
outbreak will lead to an economic recession. Mississippians are also fretting about being able to
afford medical coverage for themselves and their families during the outbreak, with nearly 70%
saying they are considerably or slightly more concerned with affording medical coverage.

“The coronavirus pandemic is a global crisis and our fellow Mississippians are feeling the impact
on their families, communities, the workplace, schools and places of worship. We felt it was
extremely valuable to dedicate most of this quarter’s survey to examining how Mississippians
are responding to the pandemic,” said Dr. Nathan R. Shrader, chair of the Millsaps College
Department of Government and Politics and director of the American Studies program. “On the
whole, we have found our fellow citizens are deeply troubled, and we are hopeful Mississippi’s
policymakers will benefit from understanding the pandemic’s effect on the Magnolia State and
her people.”

1
The newest quarterly State of the State Survey also examines voter preferences heading into the
2020 presidential election. Overall, 49% of Mississippi voters intend to back President Donald J.
Trump, 38% back former Vice President Joe Biden, 7% favor someone else and 7% are unsure at
this time. Over 70% of voters are concerned about disruptions in the upcoming November
elections due to the outbreak and the electorate strongly favors transitioning to a vote-by-mail
system for November. 54% support moving to vote-by-mail while just 30% are opposed.

Other Key Findings:

 47% believe the state is heading in the right direction, 30% say it is moving in the wrong
direction and 23% are unsure.
 Making healthcare more accessible is the top priority for voters at this time, with 27%
saying this is what they would like to see Mississippi’s elected leaders working on in
Jackson. 19% say their top priority is more funding for public schools, 16% back fixing
our state’s roads and bridges, 16% favor protecting traditional family values, 4% support
increasing funding for universities and colleges and 3% back reducing the size of state
government.
 The Mississippi Legislature—currently on hiatus from Session due to the coronavirus
outbreak—is underwater with the voters. 39% disapprove of legislators’ performance,
26% approve and another 35% are unsure.
 A plurality of voters (45%) say the Mississippi state government has responded
appropriately to the pandemic, 42% say the state has not gone far enough to respond and
8% believe state government has gone too far.
“We are now in our third year of partnership with the Millsaps College Department of
Government and Politics on this State of the State Survey and are gratified that elected officials,
journalists, and other people who care about the future of our state rely on this research to help
shape public policy discussions,” said Brad Chism of Chism Strategies. “This survey confirms
the massive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the citizens of our state.”

The survey was conducted from April 8-9, 2020 with a sample size of 508, with 53% of
interviews  conducted via cell phone and 48% via landline. The survey has a Margin of Error of
+/-4.35%. Results were weighted to reflect voter turnout for the 2020 Mississippi elections.

Founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal arts college
dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to
inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our
region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been
praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance
Magazine, The John Templeton Foundation and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.

-30-

2
 Millsaps College/Chism Strategies State of the State Survey
Summary Analysis
April 20, 2020

 Mississippians are deeply concerned with the public health pandemic currently facing
the nation. 63% report they are very concerned about someone in their family
becoming seriously ill from the coronavirus outbreak, with another 25% saying they
are somewhat concerned. Only 12% of respondents suggest they are not concerned at all or
not too concerned about members of their family being infected.

The intense level of apprehension felt among Mississippians cuts across all lines of race,
gender, ethnicity, age, partisanship, education level and where one happens to live within the
state. Nearly 95% of African American voters and 86% of white voters say they are
very/somewhat concerned, as do 86% of men and 90% of women. Nearly 100% of
Democrats express they are very/somewhat concerned, along with 87% of independents and
83% of Republicans. Voters in northwestern Mississippi, the Delta, east Mississippi and the
Gulf Coast tend to report the highest levels of concern (over 90% in each region) statewide.

 Most Mississippi voters report their lives have been disrupted by the coronavirus
outbreak and nearly three-quarters fear the pandemic will lead to an economic
recession. 83% say their lives have been significantly or somewhat disrupted while just 17%
say their lives have been only slightly disrupted or not disrupted at all, helping to underscore
the far-reaching nature of the virus and its reach into Mississippi’s families and communities.
Nearly 90% of African American voters and over 80% of white voters say their lives have
been significantly/somewhat disrupted by the pandemic, with 82% of African Americans and
70% of white voters reporting they fear the onset of an economic recession as a result of the
coronavirus outbreak. Voters of all ages are feeling the disruption: 18 to 34 (84%), 35 to 44
(86%), 45 to 54 (74%), 55 to 64 (87%) and those 65+ (83%). With the exception of voters 65
and older (just 53%), citizens of all ages overwhelmingly fear that recession looms.
The coronavirus has also caused disruptions to Democrats, Republicans and independents in
Mississippi alike. Strong Democrats (88%), Democratic Leaners (85%), independents (82%),
Republican Leaners (86%) and Strong Republicans (77%) all report having their lives
disrupted by the outbreak. All of these voters are fearful of a recession, although a smaller
share of Republicans anticipate a recession (69%) than do independents (73%) and
Democrats (88%).
 The vast majority of Mississippians express confidence in the coronavirus outbreak
response by their federal, state and local governments. 62% are confident in the federal
government’s response while 64% are confident in the response from the state government
and 66% in the local response. 31%, 25% and 25% of voters, respectively, are “very
confident” in the response from these government entities.
The data indicate voter confidence in the response by federal, state and local authorities
differs based upon some variables and characteristics. For example, Mississippi voters who

3
 intend to vote for President Donald J. Trump in November express greater confidence in the
federal government’s response than do those who intend to vote for former Vice President
Joe Biden. Overall, 89% of Trump voters say they are very/somewhat confident in the federal
government’s response compared to just 33% of Biden voters. A 41-point gap exists between
Trump voters who express they are very confident in the federal response (52%) compared to
that of Biden voters (11%). Meanwhile, Biden voters are more likely to express confidence in
the state (43%) and local (55%) response to the pandemic than the federal government.
A similar pattern emerges when considering race as a variable. 70% of white voters are
very/somewhat confident in the federal government in this situation while just 46% of black
Mississippi voters feel the same way. Although white voters are still more likely than black
voters to express confidence in the state and local governmental response to the crisis (71%
and 73% of white voters, respectively), a plurality of black voters (48%) express confidence
in the state government response while a majority (52%) do so for their local government’s
response.
 Voters are feeling vulnerable when it comes to being able to afford health insurance and
care costs. About 70% of voters in Mississippi say they are more concerned (36%
considerably more concerned and 33% slightly more concerned) about being able to afford
medical coverage for themselves and their families, including the cost of health insurance
and out-of-pocket expenses due to the coronavirus. Only 9% are considerably less concerned
about these expenses, while 16% are slightly less concerned.

The increasing concern among Mississippi voters comes at a time when they had already
expressed anxiety about being able to afford such coverage prior to the coronavirus
pandemic. The January 2020 State of the State Survey found 39% of voters said they were
very worried about being able to afford the cost of medical coverage for themselves and their
family over the next few years. At the time, an additional 31% reported to be somewhat
worried about these expenses, 17% were not so worried, and 11% were not worried at all at
the time.

Voters across the board report to being considerably or slightly more concerned about
medical and insurance costs during the pandemic: women (70%), men (68%), African
Americans (76%), white voters (66%), Strong Democrats (79%), Democratic Leaners (80%),
independents (72%), Republican Leaners (59%), Strong Republicans (61%), Trump voters
(60%), and Biden voters (79%). Considering Mississippians by their level of educational
attainment, those with less than a high school degree (93%), a high school degree (81%), and
those who attended but did not graduate from college (74%) are the most highly concerned
about these costs. A similar pattern is noticeable among the youngest voters in the electorate,
those 18 to 34 (71%), the older voters within the Mississippi electorate ages 55 to 64 (73%)
and those 65+ (72%).

 Over 70% of Mississippi voters are concerned about disruptions in the upcoming
November presidential elections and 54% want to guarantee every American citizen
should be able to safely cast their ballots by mail for the November 2020 election. The
July 2018 State of the State Survey first asked Mississippi voters if they were open to shifting
elections in the state to a vote-by-mail system. Only 6% of voters at the time said they were

4
 willing to do so, with 56% favoring the traditional, in-person voting as the only option and
37% supporting a mix of these approaches.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused a major swing in favor of vote-by-mail. The April
2020 State of the State Survey finds that 54% of Mississippians believe state and federal
officials should begin taking steps to guarantee that every American citizen should be able to
safely cast their ballots by mail this November. Only 30% are opposed to this change, while
17% remain unsure.

Support for allowing American citizens to vote by mail this November cuts across various
demographics: White voters (+11), African American voters (+49), men (+13), women
(+34), Republicans (+4), independents (+9), Democrats (+65), 18-34 (+43), 35 to 44 (+11),
45 to 54 (+18), 55 to 65 (+36), 65 or older (+15), less than a high school degree (+75), high
school graduates (+35), those who attended college but did not graduate (+6), two year
college graduates (+6), four year college graduates (+29), those with advanced degrees (+32)
and a majority of voters in each of the four congressional districts.

 Almost 75% of Mississippians report to being nearly 100% compliant with the practice
of social distancing—staying at home as much as possible and stopping non-essential travel,
avoiding eating and drinking at restaurants and bars, avoiding crowds and keeping six feet
from others when in public. Nearly a quarter of voters say that they are adhering to these
guidelines most, but not all, of the time while just one percent say they are adhering less than
half of the time. No Mississippi voters reported following these recommendations little or
none of the time.

 President Donald J. Trump leads former Vice President Joe Biden by 11 points among
Mississippi voters, with Trump receiving 49% and Biden 38% while 7% of voters say they
will back someone else. Only 7% remain unsure at this time. Trump’s support is considerably
weaker than his 2016 electoral performance in Mississippi where he received 58% of the vote
against Hillary Clinton, who received just 40% in the Magnolia State. Biden’s level of
support statewide is already close to the mark hit by Clinton in November 2016.
Clear discrepancies exist between Mississippians who back Trump and those who support
Biden. Trump voters tend to say Mississippi is heading in the right direction (+61) while
Biden voters say the state is heading in the wrong direction (-30). Looking at the state’s top
priorities, Biden voters report making healthcare more affordable and accessible (39%) and
increasing funding for public schools (29%) should take precedence over other concerns
while Trump supporters view protecting traditional family values (27%) and repairing roads
and bridges (20%) as their top priorities. These voters also differ immensely on their view of
the Mississippi Legislature, with Trump voters giving higher approval ratings (+43) while
Biden voters offer higher disapproval ratings (-52) for the legislative branch of state
government.

5
The table below provides a more thorough snapshot of the Mississippi electorate’s current
positioning in the presidential contest:

A Snapshot of the Presidential Race in MS: April 2020

Joe Biden Donald Trump Someone Else Unsure

Statewide 38% 49% 7% 7%
Gender
Male 36% 53% 7% 4%
Female 40% 46% 6% 9%
Race
Black 75% 10% 7% 8%
White 20% 69% 6% 5%
Age
18-34 39% 35% 16% 10%
35-44 32% 48% 8% 13%
45-54 36% 52% 8% 5%
55-64 42% 48% 3% 7%
65+ 39% 57% 2% 2%
Education
Less than HS 38% 41% 13% 8%
HS Graduate 40% 43% 9% 8%
Attended College 32% 48% 9% 10%
Graduate, 2 year 31% 58% 4% 7%
Graduate, 4 year 37% 53% 5% 5%
Advanced Degree 46% 45% 6% 3%
Partisanship
Strong Republican 2% 96% <1% 3%
Lean Republican 9% 80% 8% 3%
Independent 33% 33% 14% 21%
Lean Democratic 79% 1% 16% 3%
Strong Democratic 90% <1% 5% 5%
Cong. District
CD 1 36% 49% 5% 10%
CD 2 49% 41% 8% 3%
CD 3 42% 45% 6% 7%
CD 4 27% 61% 7% 5%

6
 It appears as if the cues being sent by the two candidates to the public over the past several
months about the coronavirus pandemic may also have influenced how their supporters
measure the level of threat the virus poses to them and their families. Only 47% of Trump
supporters are very concerned about someone in their family becoming seriously ill from the
coronavirus outbreak while the same is true of 77% of Biden supporters.
Mississippians who support one of the two major party candidates for president also differ on
a number of other measures:
 Biden voters are also more likely to believe the measures taken by the state
government in Mississippi to contain the spread of the coronavirus have not gone
far enough (62%) while Trump supporters believe the measures taken have been
appropriate (64%).

 Voters who support the two opposing presidential contenders also view concerns
over the costs associated with medical insurance differently, with 51% of Biden
supporters reporting to be considerably more concerned now with the ability to
afford medical costs, a position shared by just 23% of Trump supporters.

 Looking towards the November elections, 70% of Biden voters are very concerned
about potential disruptions of the election process, a view shared by just 27% of
Trump backers.

 Trump voters are substantially less likely to worry about an economic recession
(59%) than Biden supporters (89%).

 Biden voters are much more likely to favor the use of vote-by-mail procedures for
the November election (73%) than Trump supporters (39%).
Despite these differences, Trump and Biden backers do share some common views regarding
the current pandemic. Both Biden and Trump supporters report their lives have been
significantly or somewhat disrupted due to the pandemic (89% and 80%, respectively),
although Biden voters are more likely (55%) than Trump voters (41%) to say these
disruptions have been significant. Biden voters (81%) and Trump voters (71%) report to
being at near 100% compliance with social distancing guidelines.
 Voter enthusiasm is showing signs of life among the Mississippi electorate. Overall, 64%
of voters say they are either extremely or very enthusiastic about voting in the November
election, while only 32% say they are only somewhat or not enthusiastic. A plurality of
Mississippi voters (46%) specifically indicate they are extremely enthusiastic about voting
this fall. Certain segments of the electorate currently exhibit an above-average level of
enthusiasm about voting in November: male voters (68%), white voters (67%), 55 to 64 years
of age (69%), those 65 and older (72%), those who are planning to vote for Donald Trump
(77%), Strong Republicans (83%), voters in CD-02 (66%) and voters in CD-03 (66%).

7
 Nearly half of Mississippi voters (47%) believe the state is heading in the right direction
while 30% see the state moving in the wrong direction. This represents the largest
percentage of respondents to report the state is heading in the right direction since the
inception of the State of the State Survey. Compared to the January 2020 survey, those
indicating the state is heading in the right direction has increased by 6 points while those
saying the state is moving in the wrong direction has declined by 20 points, which again is
the biggest shift in either direction over the past 11 quarters. However, the share of those who
are unsure as to the state’s direction shot up by 15 points, leaving an overall +13% Net
Right/Wrong Direction score.

The data indicate voters are more likely to agree the state is heading in the right direction as
they get older, as the youngest voters are the only segment right now who give the state
negative marks on the directionality of the state: 18 to 34 (-5), 35 to 44 (+3), 45 to 54 (+14),
55 to 64 (+27), and 65 and older (+34). Women and men within the electorate hold similar
feelings regarding the state’s direction (+17 and +16, respectively), but white voters hold a
considerably more optimistic feeling about the state’s direction (+30) than African American
voters (-9). Likewise, Trump supporters (+61) and Republicans (+50) sense the state is
moving in the right direction while Biden supports (-30), independents (-3), and Democrats
(-27) see Mississippi moving in the wrong direction.

Net
Right Wrong
Date of Poll Unsure Right/Wrong
Direction Direction
Direction
17-Sep 37% 40% 23% -3%
18-Jan 42% 36% 22% 6%
18-Apr 44% 37% 20% 7%
18-Jul 35% 29% 37% 6%
18-Sep 43% 30% 27% 13%
19-Jan 36% 42% 22% -6%
19-Apr 37% 35% 28% 2%
19-Jul 41% 40% 19% 1%
19-Sep 33% 37% 30% -4%
20-Jan 41% 50% 8% -9%
20-Apr 47% 30% 23% 13%
Average 40% 37% 24% 2%

8
  The need to make healthcare more accessible and affordable has topped the priorities
among Mississippians for the second consecutive quarter. 27% say this is their most
important policy priority, while 19% want more funding for public schools; 16% back fixing
our state’s roads and bridges as the top concern, matched by 16% who want the state to
protect traditional family values first. Just 10% prioritize giving tax incentives to create jobs,
4% favor more funding for universities and colleges and 3% back reducing the size of state
government. Another 6%--typical among each quarterly survey—say some other issue is
their top priority. To demonstrate the magnitude of the importance of health care accessibility
and affordability, an overall plurality of white voters (26%) and African American voters
(29%) rate this as their top priority. The same is true of women (29%) and men (26%), with a
plurality of each saying healthcare should be the first priority of elected leaders working in
Jackson.

As seen in past State of the State Surveys, the top policy priority choices are not evenly
distributed amongst the electorate. The plurality of Strong Democrats (39%), Democratic
Leaners (41%), and independents (29%) say their top priority is healthcare accessibility and
affordability while a plurality of Strong Republicans (31%) prioritize protecting traditional
family values and a slim plurality of Republican Leaners back giving tax incentives to create
jobs (18%) as priority one. Similarly, noticeable differences exist between voters based on
their presidential candidate preferences. Nearly 40% of Biden supporters say healthcare is
their top priority for the state while just 16% of Trump voters share this position. Meanwhile,
a plurality of Trump voters note that protecting traditional family values (27%) is their most
important priority for state government.

What should be the top priority for Mississippi’s elected

leaders working in Jackson?
Running
Policy Priority 17-Sep 18-Jan 18-Apr 18-Jul 18-Sep 19-Jan 19-Apr 19-Jul 20-Jan 20-Apr
Average
Reducing the size of state
16% 11% 12% 8% 12% 11% 9% 6% 9% 3% 10%
government
Fixing roads and bridges 27% 23% 29% 25% 27% 28% 25% 20% 18% 16% 24%
Giving tax incentives and
grants for companies that 13% 10% 9% 12% 8% 8% 8% 8% 8% 10% 9%
create jobs
Making healthcare more
14% 21% 14% 18% 18% 18% 18% 18% 24% 27% 19%
accessible and affordable
More funding for public
14% 19% 20% 22% 20% 21% 20% 23% 21% 19% 20%
schools
More funding for
universities and community 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 2% 4% 2% 4% 3%
colleges
Protecting traditional family
6% 7% 11% 8% 8% 8% 11% 17% 11% 16% 10%
values
Other 7% 6% 2% 4% 4% 4% 5% 2% 6% 6% 5%

9
 About 40% of Mississippi voters disapprove of the performance of the Mississippi
Legislature while just 26% approve for a Net Approve/Disapprove score of -13%. The
Legislature’s overall approval rating declines by five points from the January 2020 State of
the State Survey while the body’s disapproval rating also declined by five points.
Mississippians who were unsure about how to rate the Legislature’s collective performance
increased by 10 points to 35%, the highest share of unsure votes since July 2018. This is
possibly due to the Legislature’s unplanned hiatus from the Capitol due to the coronavirus
outbreak.

Mississippi State Legislature Approval Rating

Net
Date of Approve/
Approve Disapprove Unsure
Poll Disapprov
e
17-Sep 27% 45% 28% -18%
18-Jan 26% 38% 36% -12%
18-Apr 30% 41% 26% -11%
18-Jul 22% 35% 43% -12%
18-Sep 32% 34% 34% -2%
19-Jan 24% 46% 30% -22%
19-Apr 26% 43% 31% -17%
19-Jul 25% 47% 28% -22%
20-Jan 31% 44% 25% -13%
20-Apr 26% 39% 35% -13%
Averag
27% 41% 32% -14%
e

The Legislature is underwater among numerous segments of the electorate: Independents

(-30), Democrats (-48), Biden voters (-52), women (-13), men (-12), African American
voters (-35), high school graduates (-5), two-year college graduates (-15), four-year college
graduates (-13), those with advanced degrees (-27), 18 to 34 (-32), 35 to 44 (-30), 45 to 54 (-
11), 55 to 64 (-10), voters in CD 01 (-4), CD 02 (-18), CD 03 (-26) and CD 04 (-1). The
Legislature’s only positive marks come from Republicans (+17), Trump voters (+25), those
with less than high school education (+1) and voters 65 or older (+6).

10