2022 Midterm Election Poll Conducted by WCU Statistics & Political Science Students Indicates Majority of PA State System College Students Will Vote on November 8
Living in a battleground state with highly contested elections, PA college voter turnout
is expected to be historic. A Qualtrics survey was sent to a random sample of more
than 15,000 students who are at least 18 years old, are permanent residents of Pennsylvania
and attend one of the schools that comprise Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher
Education (PASSHE); students from 9 out of 10 PASSHE schools responded to the survey.
The second statewide election poll for State System undergraduates was conducted by
West Chester University Professor of Statistics Laura Pyott; statistics majors Gianna Lafrance, Emma Laughlin, Connor McKee, Jaiden Neff, Evan Parker, Julia Randazzo,
Jack Ross, Ian Vanwright, and Kyle Weber; computer science majors Jessica Gorr and
Hayden Kanak; and political science majors Veronica Yeakel, Katelyn Samples, and Elizabeth
Seravello.
The poll generated some interesting results among the 948 total student respondents:
- 56 % of students favor John Fetterman (D) as a candidate for US senator
- 21% of students favor Doug Mastriano (R) as a candidate for governor of PA
- 22% of students favor Mehmet Oz (R) as a candidate for US senator
- 56 % of students favor Josh Shapiro (D) as a candidate for governor of PA
- Students said the following are their top issues:
- Education
- Abortion
- Healthcare
- Economy
- 50+% of students said abortion ranked in their top three issues, more than any other issue
- 87% of students said they are registered to vote
- 89% said they will certainly or probably vote in the 2022 midterm election
- 70% of students will vote in person
- Students self-identified as liberal (36%), moderate (36%), conservative (17%), & not sure (11%)