UNF poll finds McCain, Obama tied in Duval, one of Florida’s most populous counties

 A new University of North Florida poll shows that Duval County residents are evenly divided in their support for presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. The poll also reveals that rising food prices are causing problems for families on the First Coast. Duval is one of Florida’s largest counties; Florida is the 4th largest state in the U.S.  The poll taken between June 11 and June 18 was conducted at the Public Opinion Research Laboratory at UNF and was performed through the use of Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing. The survey includes telephone interviews with 510 Duval County adult residents. Respondent age, gender, race and education were weighted. The margin of error for the general population is +/-4.3 percent. In Duval County, the election is at a statistical dead heat, with 42 percent of respondents self-reporting support for John McCain and 42 percent reporting the same for Barack Obama. Questions were also asked about issues and satisfaction with the way the country is being managed.

            Among the findings:

o In terms of race, more than 60 percent of white respondents report their intention to vote for John McCain, compared with fewer than 22 percent for Barack Obama. Over 90 percent of African-Americans report they plan on voting for Obama, with only 3 percent reporting intent to vote for McCain.

o Some 10 percent of those surveyed are unsure who they will vote for in November.

o Of those surveyed, 47 percent say the economy is the most important issue in the election, with the second most important issue being the war in Iraq.

o The majority of Duval County residents surveyed aren’t satisfied with the way things are going in America. Nearly 83 percent of respondents are dissatisfied, with 45 percent reporting they are very dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country today.

o The poll also revealed that 61 percent of those surveyed agree that the rising price of food has been a problem for their family.

o Some 30 percent of respondents believe a gallon of gas will be more than $5 by Election Day.

[From UNF News Release Jul. 1]