Poll Shows a Lack of Optimism in Washington State

The results of a new poll in Washington State shows a lack of optimism about the future. The new Crosscut/Elway Poll finds fewer than half expect things to get better over the next year in their communities, the state or the country.

The voter outlook index measures how people feel about home and communities

It's called the “voter outlook index”-and it's set to measure how people feel about the future of their households, communities, state and country. The poll shows the lowest it’s been since the summer of 2011. 60% of voters asked in the survey say they feel good about their own households but only 48% say the same about their communities, 47% for the state, and just 43% for the country.

Economics issues are among the top concerns for state residents

The biggest concern for voters? Economic issues such as inflation, named by nearly one-third as the most important issue for the Legislature to accomplish this year. The poll also shows "as the pandemic enters its third year, 23% of voters said it was their top concern-down almost 30 points from the same time last year. More than three-quarters of respondents said they knew someone who had contracted COVID, up from 55% a year ago."
The poll was conducted Dec. 26-28, 2021 with 400 registered voters living throughout Washington state.