THE DES MOINES REGISTER/MEDIACOM IOWA POLL

SELZER & COMPANY

800 Iowa adults
Margin of error: 3.5 percentage points

Study #2145
October 3-6, 2016
Weighted by age, sex, and education
POLL QUESTIONS

Totals may not add to 100% due to rounding.

Are you a resident of the state of Iowa?
100
-

Yes
No
Not sure

Continue
Terminate

How likely is it you will vote in the November general election for president, U.S. Senate and other officeswill you
definitely vote, probably vote, might or might not vote, or probably not vote, or have you already cast a ballot in early
voting?
7
67
11
5
9
1

Already voted
Definitely vote
Probably vote
Might or might not vote
Probably not vote
Refused/not sure

Continue
Ask past voting question, then skip to Grassley question

Have you voted in past elections? (If yes, ask:) Would you say you have voted in most general elections, or just
some general elections in the past?
67
16
16
1

Yes, have voted in most

Yes, have voted in some
No, have not voted in past
Not sure

(If definitely vote, ask:) If the general election were held today, and the candidates for U.S. Senate were [Patty
Judge for the Democrats] and [Chuck Grassley for the Republicans], for whom would you vote[Patty
Judge/Chuck Grassley] or for someone else? (Alternate candidate names every other interview.)
(If already voted, ask:) In the election for U.S. Senator, for whom did you vote[Patty Judge for the
Democrats/Chuck Grassley for the Republicans], or for someone else? (Rotate candidate names.)
(If definitely vote and not sure or would not vote, ask:) Toward which do you lean?
(If already voted and not sure, ask:) Do you just not want to tell, or do you not remember?
(Asked only of likely voters; n=642. Margin of error: 3.9 percentage
points.)

Patty Judge
Chuck Grassley
Other/would not vote (VOL)
Not sure/dont remember
Dont want to tell

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First choice

Lean

35
50
4
8
3

1
3
2
6
-

Total

36
53
2
6
3

Would you be open to voting for a Democratic candidate if it were not Patty Judge? (Asked only of likely voters who did
not support Judge in the Senate horserace question; n=410. Margin of error: 4.8 percentage points.)

34
42
24

Yes
No
Not sure

(If definitely vote, ask:) If the general election were held today, and the candidates were [Hillary Clinton for the
Democrats], [Donald Trump for the Republicans], [Gary Johnson for the Libertarian Party], and [Jill Stein for
the Green Party], for whom would you vote? (Rotate candidate names in brackets.)
(If already voted, ask:) In the election for president, for whom did you vote[Hillary Clinton for the Democrats],
[Donald Trump for the Republicans], [Gary Johnson for the Libertarian Party], or [Jill Stein for the Green
Party]? (Rotate candidate names in brackets.)
(If definitely vote and not sure or would not vote, ask:) Toward which do you lean?
(If already voted and not sure, ask:) Do you just not want to tell, or do you not remember?
(Asked only of likely voters; n=642. Margin of error: 3.9 percentage
points.)

Hillary Clinton
Donald Trump
Gary Johnson
Jill Stein
Other/would not vote (VOL)
Not sure/Dont remember
Dont want to tell

First choice

Lean

39
41
6
2
3
8
2

2
2
5
-

Total

39
43
6
2
2
5
2

Of the following, which would you say is the main reason you support Hillary Clinton? (Asked only of likely voters who
supported Clinton in the presidential horserace question; n=257. Margin of error: 6.1 percentage points.)

52
5
17
11
1
13
2

Her experience
Her temperament
Her intelligence
That she is respected by world leaders
That she would be the first woman president
None of these (VOL)
Not sure

Would you say your vote for Hillary Clinton is more a vote to support her for president, or more a vote to stop
Donald Trump from becoming president? (Asked only of likely voters who supported Clinton in the presidential horserace
question; n=257. Margin of error: 6.1 percentage points.)

53
42
5

More to support Clinton

More to vote against Trump
Not sure

Of the following, which would you say is the main reason you support Donald Trump? (Asked only of likely voters who
supported Trump in the presidential horserace question; n=278. Margin of error: 5.9 percentage points.)

29
12
12
2
32
10
4

He is not a politician
He tells it like it is
He will change the way government works
He will make things interesting
He will restore what is good about America that has slipped away
None of these (VOL)
Not sure

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Would you say your vote for Donald Trump is more a vote to support him for president, or more a vote to stop
Hillary Clinton from becoming president? (Asked only of likely voters who supported Trump in the presidential horserace
question; n=278. Margin of error: 5.9 percentage points.)

51
46
3

More to support Trump

More to vote against Clinton
Not sure

Now, Im going to mention some concerns that political opponents have expressed about Donald Trump. For each,
please tell me if this is something that bothers you a lot, a little, or not at all. (Rotate.)
(Asked only of likely voters; n=642. Margin of error: 3.9 percentage points.)

Trump's decision not to release his tax returns and documents

suggesting he may have legally owed no federal taxes some years
Trump's criticism of a reporter that was seen as mocking the
reporter's physical disability
Suspension of Trump Foundation fundraising and spending
because it did not file proper documents with New York state
government
Trumps attitude toward women, including comments about a
former Miss Universe

Bothers ABothers A Bothers

lot
little
Not at all

Not
Sure

39

15

45

53

21

23

31

25

40

48

16

34

Now, Im going to mention some concerns that political opponents have expressed about Hillary Clinton. For each,
please tell me if this is something that bothers you a lot, a little, or not at all. (Rotate.)
(Asked only of likely voters; n=642. Margin of error: 3.9 percentage points.)

Clinton's handling of her private e-mail

Clinton's handling of the Benghazi attack
Clinton's family's foundation accepted money from foreign
governments when she was secretary of state
Questions about Clintons trustworthiness

Bothers
A lot

Bothers Bothers
A little Not at all

Not
Sure

53
52

24
23

23
21

1
4

51
52

27
22

20
25

2
1

Regardless of which candidate you support, who do you think would do a better job with each of the following
[Hillary Clinton] or [Donald Trump]? (Alternate candidate names. Rotate list.)
(Asked only of likely voters; n=642. Margin of error: 3.9 percentage points.) Clinton

Fixing the economy

Handling relations with other countries
Determining tax policy
Combating Islamic terrorism
Fixing the immigration system
Negotiating favorable trade deals

40
60
43
42
45
46

Trump

53
34
47
49
48
46

Neither
(VOL)

4
4
5
5
4
4

Not
Sure

3
3
5
4
4
4

(Ask all.)
As a senator and regarding his service to Iowa, do you think Chuck Grassley is getting better, getting worse, or
staying about the same as he used to be?
11
26
50
13

Better
Worse
Same
Not sure

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In general, do you think things in the nation are headed in the right direction, or have they gotten off on the wrong
track?

Oct-16

Right
direction

Wrong
track

21

71

Not
sure

What about here in Iowa? Do you think things in the state are headed in the right direction, or have they gotten off on
the wrong track?

Oct-16

Right
direction

Wrong
track

48

39

Not
sure

13

Im going to mention some elected officials. For each, please tell me if you approve or disapprove
of the way each is handling his or her job. (Rotate list.)
Approve

Disapprove

Not
Sure

Barack Obama as president

Oct-16

43

52

Terry Branstad as governor

Oct-16

48

38

13

Joni Ernst as U.S. senator

Oct-16

50

28

23

Chuck Grassley as U.S. senator

Oct-16

56

30

14

For each of the following, please tell me if you think it is mostly a success or mostly a failure for the Obama
administration. (Rotate list.)
Mostly a
success

The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare

Job growth
Illegal immigration
Relations with other countries
Race relations
Military engagements

32
48
24
48
32
39

Mostly a
failure

59
43
64
43
57
49

Not
Sure

9
9
12
8
11
12

When it comes to the Dakota Access pipeline, which has been approved to be built across Iowa, do you think the
project was or was not given enough study of the potential benefits and consequences?
30
51
19

Was given enough study

Was not given enough study
Not sure

Was there ever a time you supported Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination for president?
37
62
1

Yes
No
Not sure
ABOUT THE POLL

The Iowa Poll, conducted Oct. 3-6 for The Des Moines Register and Mediacom by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, is based on
telephone interviews with 800 Iowans ages 18 or older. Interviewers with Quantel Research contacted households with

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randomly selected landline and cell phone numbers supplied by Survey Sampling International. Interviews were administered
in English. Responses were adjusted by age, sex, and educational attainment to reflect the general population based on recent
census data.
Questions based on the sample of 800 Iowa adults have a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
This means that if this survey were repeated using the same questions and the same methodology, 19 times out of 20, the
findings would not vary from the percentages shown here by more than plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Results based on
smaller samples of respondentssuch as by gender or agehave a larger margin of error.
Republishing the copyright Iowa Poll without credit to The Des Moines Register and Mediacom is prohibited.

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