Washington Post Poll: Maryland Elections Poll #2, October 2006

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This poll, conducted October 22-October 26, 2006, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions on the upcoming political elections. They were asked to rate the likelihood that they would vote in the election. Furthermore, they were asked how closely they were following the races and for whom they would vote if the elections were held today. Respondents were asked to voice their opinion on whether they thought things in the state of Maryland were generally going in the right direction, or if things had gone off track. They were also asked if they approved or disapproved of the way George W. Bush was handling his job as president. They were asked a series of statements concerning the candidates for Senator and whether they thought each statement applied more to Ben Cardin or to Michael Steele. The statements included, "He is honest and trustworthy", "He understands the problems of people like you," "He is a strong leader," "He shares your values," "He has an appealing personality," and "He is open to the ideas of people who are political moderates." Respondents were also given a series of statements concerning the candidates for governor and asked whether they thought each statement applied more to Bob Ehrlich or to Martin O'Malley. These statements included, "He is trustworthy," "He understands the problems of people like you," "He is a strong leader," and "He has a vision for the state's future." Respondents were also asked who they thought would do a better job working effectively with the State legislature and dealing with issues like crime, taxes, public education, and the state economy. Respondents were asked whether they had a favorable or unfavorable impression of the various candidates, and whether they thought the war with Iraq was worth fighting. Some questions dealt with the issue of voting. Respondents were asked how confident they were that their vote would be counted accurately. They were also asked whether they thought the change to electronic voting in the state of Maryland would make things better, worse, or would not make much difference in how accurately votes were counted. They were also asked whether they opposed or supported a plan to allow early voting at select locations in the state of Maryland in the week leading up to Election Day. Demographic variables include race, sex, age, level of education, income, voter registration status, political ideology, party affiliation, religion, and religiosity.