A recent poll conducted in six battleground states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, suggests that there is broad bipartisan support for federal help for parents raising children. The survey, conducted by the University of Maryland’s Program for Public Consultation, found that likely voters in these states overwhelmingly favor federal support for increasing the Child Tax Credit, universal preschool funding, childcare subsidies, and paid family and medical leave. This support extends across party lines, indicating that these issues could be key to winning over voters in closely fought battlegrounds.
One of the key proposals that has gained traction in these states is an increase in the Child Tax Credit. Both Vice President Kamala Harris and J.D. Vance have championed this issue, with Harris proposing a $6,000 credit and Vance proposing a $5,000 credit. Support for this proposal ranges from 69% in Wisconsin to 77% in Georgia, with 71% of Republicans in Georgia also in favor. However, the proposal is more popular among younger voters, with only 43% of senior citizens across the swing states expressing support.
Universal preschool funding is also widely popular among voters in these states, with support ranging from 76% in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to 83% in Georgia and Michigan. Again, there is significant GOP support for this proposal, ranging from 63% to 78% across the six states. Similarly, childcare subsidies are supported by a large majority of voters, with an overall range of support from 74% in Wisconsin to 80% in Georgia. A proposal to make childcare free for low-income parents and capped at 7% of income for middle-income parents received strong bipartisan support.
While voters in the battleground states generally support the idea of requiring small companies to offer paid family leave to employees, Republicans are less enthusiastic about this proposal. Only around half of GOP registrants in Nevada and Pennsylvania support this idea, compared to higher levels of support in the other states, with a high of 67% in Michigan. Overall, support for the concept of paid family leave ranges from 68% to 75% across the states, indicating that it is a policy that resonates with voters outside of the Republican base.
In conclusion, the polling data from the six battleground states suggests that there is strong bipartisan support for federal help for parents raising children. Issues such as increasing the Child Tax Credit, universal preschool funding, childcare subsidies, and paid family leave are popular among voters in these states, with significant support from both Republicans and Democrats. These policies may be key to winning over voters in these closely contested battlegrounds and securing the electoral votes needed for victory. The polling data indicates that voters across party lines see the value in providing support for families and children, highlighting these issues as potential areas of opportunity for politicians seeking to appeal to a broad base of voters.
