Climate Change on Minds of Michiganders

The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication partnered with Nexus Polling and George Mason University on a new survey that finds Michigan voters have deep concerns about the impact of climate change in their state and strongly support policies that would expand renewable energy, drive down pollution and support the growing electric-vehicle (EV) industry. 

A few key numbers:

• When asked to identify the two most important issues to their vote for president in 2020, Michigan Democratic voters picked health care (43 percent), climate change (26 percent) and Donald Trump’s record as president (21 percent).

• Sixty-five percent of registered Michigan voters are concerned about climate change. They especially see the state of infrastructure, such as roads and bridges (95 percent), pollution in natural waterways (89 percent) and the quality of drinking water (86 percent) as posing serious problems where they live.

• Seventy-four percent of voters are more likely to support candidates who favor increasing government funding for renewables; 68 percent say they are more likely to vote for candidates who favor stronger fuel-efficiency standards.

• Sixty-nine percent of Michigan voters say developing renewables should be a priority for the state, and 59 percent say the state can meet its energy needs without building new fossil-fuel infrastructure. Seventy-one percent support installing EV charging stations in public areas, and 66 percent favor expanding EV tax credits.Review the full polling memo at climatenexus.org/wp-content/uploads/Michigan_Voters_Support_Climate_Action.pdf.