THE DES MOINES REGISTER/MEDIACOM IOWA POLL
SELZER & COMPANY
801 Iowa adults, including 674 likely voters
in the 2020 general election
Margin of error: ± 3.5 percentage points for all Iowa adults
Margin of error: ± 3.8 percentage points for likely voters

Study #2216
June 7-10, 2020
Weighted by age, sex,
and congressional district

Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
In general, do you think things in the nation are headed in the right direction, or have they gotten off on the wrong
track?

Jun-20
Mar-20
Feb-19
Sep-18
Jan-18
Dec-17
Jul-17
Feb-17
Oct-16
Feb-16
Feb-15
Sep-14
Feb-14
Dec-13
Sep-13
Jun-13
Feb-13
Sep-12
Feb-12
Feb-11
Sep-10
Feb-10
Nov-09
Sep-09
Apr-09
Jan-09

Right
direction

Wrong
track

Not
sure

22

63

15

46
39
34
40
29
32
36
21
25
29
23
23
23
22
30
37
40
30
32
30
31
35
41
43
36

44
51
55
49
60
56
51
71
65
60
65
68
70
68
60
51
54
64
58
63
61
58
50
49
53

10
10
11
12
10
11
13
8
10
11
12
9
7
10
10
12
6
6
10
7
8
7
9
8
11

_______________
SELZER & COMPANY
PAGE 1

 What about here in Iowa? Do you think things in the state are headed in the right direction, or have they gotten off on
the wrong track?

Jun-20
Mar-20
Feb-19
Sep-18
Jan-18
Dec-17
Jul-17
Feb-17
Oct-16
Feb-16
Feb-15
Sep-14
Feb-14
Dec-13
Sep-13
Jun-13
Feb-13
Sep-12
Feb-12
Feb-11
Sep-10
Feb-10
Nov-09
Sep-09
Apr-09
Jan-09

Right
direction

Wrong
track

Not
sure

47

41

12

57
58
47
49
47
44
42
48
45
56
55
52
55
52
56
58
60
52
40
39
34
34
48
45
44

30
32
42
39
40
43
41
39
40
30
31
37
33
36
34
28
31
38
47
52
57
57
41
44
45

13
10
11
13
13
13
18
13
15
14
14
11
12
12
10
14
9
10
13
9
9
9
11
11
11

This November, there may be a number of ways for people to cast their vote for president and other offices. For each of the
following methods, please tell me if this is something you are likely to do, might do, or would not do. (Rotate.)

Vote at your polling place on Election Day
Vote using an absentee ballot through the mail
Vote early in person at a satellite polling place or at the
county auditor’s office

Likely

Might

Would
not do

Not
Sure

61
41

16
20

21
37

2
2

28

23

46

3

How likely is it you will vote in the November 2020 general election for president, U.S. Senate and other offices—will
you definitely vote, probably vote, might or might not vote, or probably not vote?

Jun-20
Mar-20
Feb-19
Jan-18

Definitely
vote

Probably
vote

Might or
might not vote

Probably not
vote

82

10

3

5

-

80
81
81

11
8
10

5
3
3

4
5
3

3
3

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SELZER & COMPANY
PAGE 2

Refused/
Not sure

 (Based on likely voters in the 2020 general election.) If the elections for the U.S. House of Representatives were
being held today, which party’s candidate would you vote for in your congressional district: The [DEMOCRATIC]
candidate or the [REPUBLICAN] candidate? (If not sure, ask:) Which way are you leaning—toward the
[REPUBLICAN] candidate or the [DEMOCRATIC] candidate?
Sample
size
Jun-20
Mar-20

Margin
of error

Dem
candidate
+leaners

Rep
candidate
+leaners

47

42

45

2

41

2

2

9

42

49

40

2

47

2

2

7

n=674 ±3.8% pts.
n=667 ±3.8% pts.

Dem
Lean Dem
Rep
Lean Rep Other/ Would
candidate candidate candidate candidate not vote (VOL)

Not
sure

(Based on likely voters in the 2020 general election.) If the general election were held today, and the candidates were
[Joe Biden for the Democrats] and [Donald Trump for the Republicans], for whom would you vote—[Joe Biden],
[Donald Trump], someone else, or would you not vote? (Rotate which name is asked first in question.)

Jun-20

Sample
size

Margin
of error

Joe
Biden

n=674

±3.8% pts.

43

Donald
Trump

Someone
else

44

Would not
vote

9

Not sure

1

3

(Based on likely voters in the 2020 general election.) Would you say your mind is made up to support that candidate,
or could you still be persuaded to support a different candidate?

Jun-20
Jun-20
Jun-20

Presidential race

Sample
size

Margin
of error

Mind is
made up

All
Biden supporters
Trump supporters

n=674
n=302
n=300

±3.8% pts.
±5.6% pts.
±5.7% pts.

75
80
87

Could be
persuaded

20
19
11

Not
sure

1
1
2

No first-choice
candidate

4
n/a
n/a

(Based on likely voters in the 2020 general election.) Would What about the race for U.S. Senator? If the general
election were held today, and the candidates were [Theresa Greenfield for the Democrats] and [Joni Ernst for the
Republicans], for whom would you vote—[Theresa Greenfield], [Joni Ernst], someone else, or would you not vote?
(Rotate which name is asked first in question.)

Jun-20

Sample
size

Margin
of error

Theresa
Greenfield

Joni
Ernst

n=674

±3.8% pts.

46

43

Someone
else

Would
not vote

4

Not
sure

-

7

(Based on likely voters in the 2020 general election.) Would you say your mind is made up to support that candidate,
or could you still be persuaded to support a different candidate?

Jun-20
Jun-20
Jun-20

U.S. Senate race

Sample
size

Margin
of error

All
Greenfield supporters
Ernst supporters

n=674
n=306
n=293

±3.8% pts.
±5.6% pts.
±5.7% pts.

Mind is
made up

68
78
74

_______________
SELZER & COMPANY
PAGE 3

Could be
persuaded

23
22
24

Not
sure

1
1

No first-choice
candidate

7
n/a
n/a

 I'm going to mention the names of some candidates and officeholders [previously: people in the news]. For each name I
read, please tell me if your feelings toward the person are very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or
very unfavorable. If you don’t know the person, just say so. (Record “don’t know” as “not sure.” Rotate list.)
Combined
Favorable

Joe Biden, former vice
president

Combined
Very
Unfavorable Favorable

Mostly
Favorable

Mostly
Very
Unfavorable Unfavorable

Not
Sure

Jun-20

45

50

18

27

18

32

5

Dec-13

36

57

12

24

21

36

7

Sep-12

45

45

18

27

19

26

10

Jun-20
Mar-20
Feb-19
Feb-14
Jun-13

45

40

21

24

16

24

15

46
56
13
7

36
29
14
5

20
23
3
1

26
33
10
6

15
16
7
3

21
13
7
2

18
14
73
88

Jun-20

48

34

22

26

17

17

18

Mar-20
Feb-19
Feb-12
Nov-09
Sep-09
Jul-04
Feb-03
Jun-02
Jun-98

54
60
61
64
64
70
67
67
78

33
31
26
30
28
16
12
13
9

24
29
18
15
24
27
24
28
34

31
31
43
49
40
43
43
39
44

15
16
17
21
17
12
9
8
7

17
15
9
9
11
4
3
5
2

13
8
13
6
8
14
21
20
13

Jun-20

41

20

16

26

11

9

39

Mar-20

14

13

5

9

7

6

73

Feb-19

8

4

3

6

3

1

88

Mar-20
Mar-20
Feb-19

52

36

26

26

19

17

12

52
59

31
31

22
24

30
36

17
17

14
14

17
10

Sep-18
Jan-18

45
48

37
32

17
14

28
34

19
17

18
15

18
20

Dec-17

44

33

14

30

16

17

23

Feb-17

44

24

14

30

14

10

32

Mike Pence, vice
president

Jun-20

44

45

27

17

15

30

11

Donald Trump, president

Jun-20

45

52

28

17

8

43

3

Donald Trump
Donald Trump, current
president of the United States
Donald Trump, president

Mar-20

51

47

32

18

9

38

2

Sep-18

41

56

21

20

13

43

3

Jan-18

45

53

22

22

13

40

2

Joe Biden, vice president of the
U.S.
Joe Biden, Democratic
candidate for vice president

Joni Ernst, U.S. senator
Joni Ernst
Joni Ernst, a state senator

Chuck Grassley, U.S.
senator
Chuck Grassley
Charles Grassley, U.S. senator
U.S. Senator Charles Grassley
Senator Charles Grassley
U.S. Senator Charles Grassley

Theresa Greenfield,
businesswoman
Theresa Greenfield, Democratic
candidate for U.S. Senate and
urban planner
Theresa Greenfield, former
candidate for Congress in
Iowa’s 3rd Congressional
District

Kim Reynolds, governor
Kim Reynolds
Kim Reynolds, the current
Republican governor running
for election
Kim Reynolds, governor
Kim Reynolds, Republican
governor
Kim Reynolds, Republican
lieutenant governor

_______________
SELZER & COMPANY
PAGE 4

 I’m going to mention some people and institutions in the news [previously: elected officials]. For each, please
tell me if you approve or disapprove of the way each is handling the job. (Rotate list.)

Kim Reynolds as governor

Kim Reynolds as lieutenant governor

Joni Ernst as U.S. senator

Chuck Grassley as U.S. senator

Donald Trump as president of the United States

Your local law enforcement

Not
Sure

Approve

Disapprove

Jun-20
Mar-20
Feb-19
Sep-18
Jan-18
Dec-17
Jul-17
Feb-17
Feb-12

56

36

8

54
59
46
47
51
46
44
39

33
32
38
33
30
24
24
15

13
9
17
20
19
30
32
46

Jun-20
Mar-20
Feb-19
Sep-18
Jan-18
Dec-17
Jul-17
Feb-17
Oct-16
Feb-16
Feb-15

49

39

13

47
57
47
51
48
50
48
50
43
38

38
30
31
33
38
37
37
28
31
34

15
13
22
16
15
13
15
23
25
28

Jun-20
Mar-20
Feb-19
Sep-18
Jan-18
Dec-17
Jul-17
Feb-17
Oct-16
Feb-16
Feb-15
Sep-14
Jun-13
Feb-13
Sep-12
Feb-12
Feb-11
Sep-10
Feb-10
Nov-09
Sep-09
Apr-09
Jan-09

53

31

15

55
58
50
49
51
53
54
56
57
64
59
60
62
62
60
65
56
54
57
57
66
75

34
33
36
40
40
35
37
30
28
22
25
27
22
23
28
21
30
28
32
30
20
12

12
9
14
11
9
12
9
14
15
14
16
13
16
15
12
14
14
18
11
13
14
13

Jun-20
Mar-20
Feb-19
Sep-18
Jan-18
Dec-17
Jul-17
Feb-17

45

52

3

50
46
39
44
35
43
42

47
50
56
51
60
52
49

4
4
5
5
5
5
9

Jun-20

86

10

4

_______________
SELZER & COMPANY
PAGE 5

 Meatpacking plants around Iowa are reopening. Do you think there will or will not be adequate oversight to protect
workers’ safety as they return to work?
Will be adequate

Will not be adequate

47

38

Jun-20

Not sure

14

On a different topic now, as you think about protests around the country sparked by the death of an unarmed black
man in police custody in Minneapolis, which of the following words describes your state of mind? For each, answer
yes or no if it describes your mood a lot of the time. (Rotate. Mark as many as apply. If answered none of these
or not sure, no other option may be selected.)
77
66
45
53
78
15
29
65
15
1

Hopeful
Angry
Stressed
Calm
Confident Americans will get through this and be OK
Unconcerned
Scared
Prayerful
Hopeless
None of these (VOL)
Not sure

When it comes to race relations in Iowa, do you think things are getting better, worse, or staying about the same as
they were 10 years ago?

Jun-20
Feb-16

Getting
better

Getting
worse

Staying about
the same

Not
sure

28

20

45

7

26

24

43

6

There have been some incidents involving law enforcement killing unarmed African Americans, with many different
circumstances surrounding each incident. [2016 wording: In other parts of the country, there have been some incidents involving
law enforcement killing unarmed black men, with many different circumstances surrounding each incident.] Do you think problems
like this could easily happen in Iowa, or does that seem like a remote possibility?
Jun-20
Oct-16
Feb-16

Could easily happen

Remote possibility

Not sure

68

27

5

68
67

28
30

4
4

Do you think it is a common or uncommon practice in Iowa for law enforcement officers to profile people solely on
the basis of race?
Jun-20
Feb-16

Common

Uncommon

Not sure

39

50

10

39

53

9

Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Trump is addressing protests surrounding race and police actions?
Jun-20

Approve

Disapprove

Not sure

37

55

8

_______________
SELZER & COMPANY
PAGE 6

 SELZER COMPANY
PAGE 7

ABOUT THE POLL
The Iowa Poll, conducted June 7-10 for The Des Moines Register and Mediacom by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines,
is based on telephone interviews with 801 Iowans ages 18 or older. Interviewers with Quantel Research contacted
households with randomly selected landline and cellphone numbers supplied by Dynata. Interviews were
administered in English. Responses were adjusted by age, sex, and congressional district to reflect the general
population based on recent American Community Survey estimates.
Questions based on the sample of 801 Iowa adults have a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 3.5
percentage points, and questions based on the sample of 674 likely voters in the 2020 general election have a
maximum margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. This means that if this survey were repeated
using the same questions and the same methodology, 19 times out of 20, the findings would not vary from the true
population value by more than plus or minus 3.5 or 3.8 percentage points, respectively. Results based on smaller
samples of respondents—such as by gender or age—have a larger margin of error.
Republishing the copyright Iowa Poll without credit to The Des Moines Register and Mediacom is prohibited.

_______________
SELZER & COMPANY
PAGE 8