New WBUR/MassINC Poll Shows Majority of Mass Voters who know Ranked Choice Voting Support ‘Yes on 2’

The Campaign Starts as a Statistical Tie with a Clear Path to A Majority Win

For Immediate Release:

Contact: Charlie@sqcomms.com, 617-894-6905

Boston, Mass – August 13, 2020 – The ‘Yes on 2’ campaign starts the election in a dead heat with just over a month before ballots hit Massachusetts voters’ mailboxes. A new WBUR/MassINC telephone poll of Massachusetts voters, released on Thursday, shows Massachusetts voters start the fall campaign evenly split at 36% with 27% undecided/unsure. 

But when screened for those who understand the question “very well” 52% support the change, and 37% are opposed, according to the WBUR report. “The poll shows that the more voters understand the system, the more likely they are to support it,” the WBUR analysis states.

“This poll tracks with our own research — we have a clear path to victory in November,” said Yes on 2 campaign manager Cara McCormick. “When voters understand RCV well they support it by a 15 point margin. Our hard-working volunteers in every corner of the Commonwealth know that RCV is one thing we can do right now to help improve the health of our democracy, and we are all more determined than ever to get Question 2 across the finish line.”  

Immediately following the Sept. 1 primary, the campaign will launch a full-tilt education statewide media campaign to increase understanding of the measure among voters through a combination of broadcast, cable, digital and mail advertising. The campaign’s staff and thousands of volunteers across Massachusetts will continue to engage with voters, safely, to ensure that citizens go into election day with a strong understanding of the question.  The campaign announced its honorary co-chairs last week, to include: Former Democratic Governor Deval Patrick, Former Republican Governor Bill Weld, Lt. Gov. Kerry Murphy Healey, Danielle Allen, Steve Pagliuca, Tanisha Sullivan, and Lawrence H. Summers.

About the Yes on 2 Campaign

Yes On 2 is a citizen-led, nonpartisan campaign to adopt Ranked Choice Voting for Massachusetts elections starting in 2022. Ranked choice voting a common-sense reform that puts more power in the hands of voters. It will make our democracy more functional and representative of the people, not special interests.  

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