In this year’s Arizona Voter Survey put out by the Center for the Future of Arizona; respondents report that they care more about issues than political parties.
According to the survey, the vast majority of Arizonans say they’re concerned about divisiveness in politics and they’re concerned about the future of democracy.
“91% of Arizona voters are “slightly," “somewhat,” or “very concerned" about divisiveness and partisanship in current politics, with the majority in the latter category (69%). The vast majority, 80%, also believe, “Our democracy is under threat and at risk for future generations,” the Center’s website states.
That data is consistent with what the survey showed in 2022.
The voter agenda is based on two surveys: one before the primary election and another before the general.
Pollster Paul Bentz explains that voters are inclined to support candidates who are willing to work across the aisle:
“They’d like to see a government that works. They would like to see people that work together to find problems and would prefer that over the sort of divide and conquer mentality that we see,” Bentz said.
One of the survey questions asked whether likely voters agree that “our partisan primary system rewards the most extreme candidates who then need to keep their narrow base of primary voters satisfied while they are in office so they can get reelected. We need to make changes to our primary system, so we elect leaders who represent more than just a small segment of voters.”
There is a measure on the ballot this year which would do away with Arizona’s primary system, and that measure is something Bentz has vocalized his support for.
The survey was conducted in collaboration with Highground, Inc. — the firm Bentz works for.
One of the architects of the Make Elections Fair AZ initiative — Chuck Coughlin — also works for Highground.
When it comes to safety and education issues like groundwater protection and university funding; the likely voters tend to agree (regardless of political affiliation) that those are priorities.
