Politics

New poll shows Mass. residents expect violence after 2024 election

The most prevalent feelings about the election were disappointment, annoyance, and anger, the poll showed. More than 60% thought it was likely that the election could cause major violence. 

By Molly Farrar

April 9, 2024

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Nearly 50% Massachusetts residents are disappointed by President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump’s rematch in the 2024 election — which a majority also said could likely lead to “major violence,” a new poll showed.

The MassINC Polling Group with GBH News and CommonWealth Beacon surveyed 1,002 Massachusetts residents during the month of March. Topics included state politics, the 2024 election, the war in Gaza, abortion rights, and sports betting.

The most prevalent feelings about the election were disappointment, annoyance, and anger, the poll showed. Nearly 75% of respondents thought that political tensions in the United States were either very bad or at a crisis point.

The survey also asked about major repercussions of the 2024 election. More than 60% thought it was either very likely or somewhat likely that the election could lead to major violence. 

In 2021, supporters of Trump’s reelection marched into the capital to violently stop the counting of Electoral College votes that certified Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. More than 100 police officers were attacked and beaten during the Jan. 6 capital riots.

Survey: Migrant crisis most pressing issue in Mass.

The survey also asked about the “single biggest issue” facing Massachusetts today. By multiple percentage points, the top answer was the migrant and immigration crisis. The breakdown of the question was:

• Migrants / immigration 21% 

• Housing 15%

• Inflation / cost of living 12% 

• Taxes / government spending / welfare 12% 

• Politics (corruption, transparency, incompetence) 8% 

• Homelessness 7% 

• Infrastructure (roads, energy, etc.) 7% 

• Economy (jobs, poverty, inequality) 8% 

• Public safety (drugs, crime, violence) 5% 

• Healthcare 4% 

• Education 3% 

• Climate / environment 2% 

• Discrimination / rights (race, LGBT, sexism) 2% 

• Other 4% 

• Non response 5%

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency last summer as the state’s crowded emergency shelter system struggles to handle the implications of its “right-to-shelter” law. There are overflow sites across the state, housing migrants fleeing unstable countries, homeless families, and pregnant women.

Boston.com readers overwhelmingly supported changing the right-to-shelter law last fall to cap the number of families in the system. Healey has also recently implemented shelter stay limits.

Survey: 47% think US should stop the war in Gaza as soon as possible

Respondents were also asked if they have been following the situation in Gaza and if they support or oppose Israel’s military action there. More than half said they were somewhat or very closely following it, while 40% said they somewhat or strongly opposed Israel’s actions.

A little less than half of respondents said “the US should push Israeli leaders to end the war right away.”

A growing number of Massachusetts politicians have called for a ceasefire in Gaza, including Representative Ayanna Pressley and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been facing growing criticism from US leaders, including from President Joe Biden and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.