Plenty of worry, but the virus can’t kill your right to vote

In 2020, we all seem worried sick.

The new Franklin Pierce University-Boston Herald poll found that 31.5% of those surveyed are very worried about the future of the country, regardless of their political affiliation. Another 28.9% are somewhat worried.

Only 18.5% say they are very hopeful for the future of the country. Optimism is a rare commodity during the pandemic.

While likely voters from both parties seem to be concerned about the future of the country, 39.9% of Democrats said they are very worried about the future of the country, whereas 20.7% of GOP voters responded by saying they are very worried about the direction of the country.

GOP voters seem to be more hopeful, with 27.7% saying they are very hopeful. Democrats are much less hopeful, with only 16% of respondents feeling very hopeful about the future.

The coronavirus, it’s clear, is driving this gloomy disposition, with 38.8% of respondents saying the virus is their top concern. The economy, social justice and racial equality, and the Supreme Court nomination, are all in the mix but don’t top COVID-19.

Until a safe vaccine arrives nobody knows just how long we’ll all be on guard. But the power every citizen has to help determine the future of the country is still there — if you exercise your right to vote.

There’s hopeful signs, deep in the FPU-Herald poll, that many will do just that. An impressive 85.7% of those surveyed said they are very likely to somehow fill out a ballot in time for the Nov. 3 election.

Fitzwater Scholar Magnolia McComish is a sophomore at Franklin Pierce University studying communications. She is from Wallingford, Conn.

Fitzwater Scholar Kaitlyn Acciardo is a sophomore at Franklin Pierce University studying political science. She is from Hampden.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3d6kIJG