August 14, 2020
With a minority government in New Brunswick, there is a heightened possibility that a provincial election could be held in the near future. Earlier this month, as part of our East Coast Voice panel study, we asked more than 1,000 New Brunswickers to what extent they support or oppose holding a provincial election this autumn.
A slim majority of New Brunswickers express opposition to holding an election in the fall, while one-third support the idea. One in six residents have no clear opinion on the matter.
Results are generally consistent across the province, although opposition is most pronounced among residents in Northern NB (56%), those with French as their mother tongue (61%), and by residents aged 55+ (60%).
Those who oppose holding an election in the autumn primarily attribute their opposition to the fact that it is bad timing for an election, and that efforts should focus on the pandemic (37%). Other key reasons cited for opposing an election in the autumn include that an election is unnecessary given that the current government is working well (26%), that there is no reason place risk on the health and safety of voters (23%), or because the money could be better spent elsewhere (19%).
In contrast, those who support holding an election in New Brunswick this Fall primarily do so because they perceive that by-elections need to happen (25%), polling stations could be managed safely with protocols in place (20%), or because a majority government is needed (17%).
Narrative Research, www.narrativeresearch.ca, is a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned research company and one of Canada’s leading public opinion and market research companies.
This survey was conducted from August 5 – 9, 2020 with 1,115 New Brunswickers 18 years of age or older, from Narrative Research’s online panel, East Coast Voice. Using data from the 2016 Census, results were weighted by gender, age, and region to reflect the province’s population characteristics. As a non-probability sample (i.e. a panel sample where residents have joined a panel to share their opinions), and in accordance with CRIC Public Opinion Research Standards, a margin of error is not applied.
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For more information, contact: Margaret Brigley, CEO & Partner: 902.222.7066 (M), mbrigley@narrativeresearch.ca
