Fall 2023

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Commonwealth Poll captures perceptions of Virginians

The Wilder School poll is a longstanding bellwether of representation on the issues most critical to the people of the commonwealth

Understanding the issues of importance to voters is an essential part of any democracy. But these perceptions are often clouded by inaccurate reporting and speculation. The Wilder School illuminates authentic perceptions through a transparent and data-driven methodology. The poll was also cited as an official CNN 2020 Presidential Election Poll by CNN, representing the gold standard in public opinion research. Policymakers in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and across the nation use the poll to identify sentiments across a range of perennial topics, including voting intentions, economic and workforce development, education, housing, public health, public safety, and racial equity. The poll, which is conducted through phone interviews, reports detailed demographics like geography, gender and ethnicities of respondents. Polls released this year reveal that the most important issue to survey respondents in the commonwealth is inflation and rising costs of living. A slight plurality (48%) of Virginians said they would prefer that Virginia’s $1 billion budget surplus be used for projects such as building or repairing schools, compared with 43% who would prefer that the surplus be used for tax relief for Virginians. Education has taken the front seat, with rising questions challenging the quality and value of schooling. More than 4 in 10 Virginians believe school-aged students in their community are falling behind in school. Additionally, 55% of those polled do not think that the value of education by the colleges and universities in Virginia is worth the cost. African Americans, Democrats and those with a bachelor’s degree or higher had the strongest support for higher education. Lauded for its prevalence, historical accuracy and strong reputation amongst media, the Commonwealth Poll is an institution that demonstrates the research expertise at the Wilder School.