The Star Tribune, MPR News and KARE 11 interviewed 800 Minnesota registered voters between May 18 and May 20. Findings from questions about the COVID-19 pandemic and the government response are below. Totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding. Scroll down the page for details about how the poll was conducted and the demographics of the 800 respondents.
Thinking about restrictions that have been put in place in your area to prevent the coronavirus from spreading, do you think these restrictions have gone too far, haven't gone far enough, or were about right?
Too
far Not far enough About
right Not
sure 32% 9% 57% 2% Too
far Not far
enough About
right Not
sure TOTAL xx% xx% xx% x% Hennepin/ Ramsey 22% 11% 65% 2% Rest of metro 34 8 56 2 Southern Minn. 42 6 51 1 Northern Minn. 37 11 50 2 Men 42 8 49 1 Women 24 10 63 3 DFL/ Democrat 1 14 83 2 Republican 65 5 30 0 Independent/ other 37 7 53 3 18-34 27 9 60 4 35-49 33 11 55 1 50-64 34 9 55 2 65+ 34 7 57 2 Under $50,000 27 11 60 2 $50,000 and over 37 8 54 1 No college degree 35 10 53 2 College graduate 29 8 61 2 Which statement comes closer to your view? Minnesota's stay-at-home measures have been worth it in order to protect people and limit spread of the coronavirus, OR Minnesota's stay-at-home measures have caused more harm than good by placing unnecessary burdens on people and the economy.
Worth it More harm
than good Not sure 59% 32% 9% Worth it More harm
than good Not sure TOTAL 59% 32% 9% Hennepin/ Ramsey 69% 22% 9% Rest of metro 59 33 8 Southern Minn. 47 42 11 Northern Minn. 55 37 8 Men 52 39 9 Women 65 26 9 DFL/ Democrat 96 0 4 Republican 28 59 13 Independent/ other 45 44 11 18-34 67 26 7 35-49 60 32 8 50-64 53 35 13 65+ 58 34 8 Under $50,000 62 26 12 $50,000 and over 57 37 6 No college degree 56 34 10 College graduate 63 30 7 As Minnesota's stay-at-home order is lifted, how likely are you to resume your previous activities, such as shopping, dining out, or travel?
I will resume
all my normal
activities I will be
somewhat more
selective in
what I do I will be
very limited
in what I do I will continue sheltering in place until there's a vaccine or the virus subsides 29% 33% 27% 11% < Scroll for more Normal activities More selective Very limited Shelter in place TOTAL 29% 33% 27% 11% Hennepin/ Ramsey 19 29 37 15 Rest of metro 30 32 26 11 Southern Minn. 46 31 18 5 Northern Minn. 27 41 23 9 Men 36 37 19 8 Women 23 29 35 13 DFL/ Democrat 6 22 50 22 Republican 49 41 5 5 Independent/ other 37 37 23 3 18-34 27 27 36 10 35-49 28 34 24 14 50-64 31 34 27 8 65+ 31 32 26 11 Under $50,000 28 32 28 12 $50,000 and over 35 30 26 9 No college degree 32 31 26 11 College graduate 26 34 29 11 Do you personally know anyone who has tested positive for the coronavirus, or not?
Yes No 35% 65% Yes No TOTAL 35% 65% Hennepin/ Ramsey 39% 61% Rest of metro 32 68 Southern Minn. 32 68 Northern Minn. 36 64 Men 34 66 Women 36 64 DFL/ Democrat 39 61 Republican 30 70 Independent/ other 37 63 18-34 33 67 35-49 36 64 50-64 35 65 65+ 34 66 Under $50,000 37 63 $50,000 and over 34 66 No college degree 32 68 College graduate 39 61 How worried, if at all, are you about becoming seriously ill from the coronavirus?
Very worried Somewhat worried Not too worried Not at all worried 10% 34% 31% 25% Very worried Somewhat worried Not too worried Not at all worried TOTAL 10% 34% 31% 25% Hennepin/ Ramsey 15 37 29 19 Rest of metro 12 34 28 26 Southern Minn. 4 29 33 34 Northern Minn. 5 32 38 25 Men 6 30 36 28 Women 13 37 27 23 DFL/ Democrat 22 45 20 13 Republican 0 18 42 40 Independent/ other 6 37 33 24 18-34 9 34 33 24 35-49 10 34 29 27 50-64 10 32 34 24 65+ 10 32 31 27 Under $50,000 9 39 29 23 $50,000 and over 10 30 32 28 No college degree 9 32 32 27 College graduate 11 34 31 24 In the past week, have you worn a face mask or covering when you've left your home, or not?
Yes, I have No, I have not 74% 26% Yes, I have No, I have not TOTAL 74% 26% Hennepin/ Ramsey 80% 20% Rest of metro 74 26 Southern Minn. 68 32 Northern Minn. 72 28 Men 68 32 Women 80 20 DFL/ Democrat 92 8 Republican 53 47 Independent/ other 75 25 18-34 78 22 35-49 74 26 50-64 72 28 65+ 75 25 Under $50,000 75 25 $50,000 and over 73 27 No college degree 72 28 College graduate 74 26 Which of the following best describes your feelings about the coronavirus in your community?
The worst is happening now The worst
is yet
to come Coronavirus
is not a problem in my community Not
sure 16% 42% 30% 12% Worst now Worst to come Not a problem Not
sure TOTAL 16% 42% 30% 12% Hennepin/ Ramsey 17% 50% 20% 13% Rest of metro 16 41 29 14 Southern Minn. 16 34 41 9 Northern Minn. 14 37 37 12 Men 16 33 36 15 Women 16 49 25 10 DFL/ Democrat 17 67 6 10 Republican 20 13 53 14 Independent/ other 10 40 36 14 18-34 17 49 23 12 35-49 14 49 28 9 50-64 15 36 33 15 65+ 19 33 35 12 Under $50,000 23 44 24 9 $50,000 and over 14 39 35 12 No college degree 15 41 33 11 College graduate 17 43 27 13 Have you or someone in your household lost a job or had income reduced due to the coronavirus crisis, or not?
Yes No Don't have a job/ Retired 36% 50% 14% Yes No Don't have
a job/
Retired TOTAL 36% 50% 14% Hennepin/ Ramsey 35% 52% 13% Rest of metro 38 49 13 Southern Minn. 35 51 14 Northern Minn. 36 48 16 Men 37 50 13 Women 35 50 15 DFL/ Democrat 35 52 13 Republican 37 48 15 Independent/ other 37 50 13 18-34 36 64 0 35-49 44 56 0 50-64 47 53 0 65+ 13 28 59 Under $50,000 33 47 20 $50,000 and over 37 50 13 No college degree 37 50 13 College graduate 36 50 14 About the poll
The findings of this Star Tribune/MPR News/KARE 11 Minnesota Poll are based on live interviews conducted May 18 to May 20 with 800 Minnesota registered voters. The poll was conducted for the Star Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio News and KARE 11 by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy Inc.The sample for this survey was drawn from a Mason-Dixon database that includes approximately 2.2 million registered Minnesota voters who are matched with a telephone number – either a land line, a cell phone or both. A random sample of 100,000 voters from unique households with unique phones was drawn from this database for use in calling on this poll.Those interviewed were randomly selected by computer from this phone-matched Minnesota voter registration file with quotas assigned to reflect the state's voter registration distribution by county. For example, Hennepin County and Ramsey County combined account for 32% of the state's registered voters, so 32% of the survey interviews were completed there. The interviews were conducted via land line (35%) and cellphone (65%).The margin of sampling error for this sample of 800 registered voters, according to standards customarily used by statisticians, is no more than ± 3.5 percentage points. This means that there is a 95 percent probability that the "true" figure would fall within that range if all voters were surveyed. The margin of error is higher for any subgroup, such as a gender or age grouping.The self-identified party affiliation of the respondents is 38% Democrats, 33% Republicans and 29% independents or other.Sampling error does not take into account other sources of variation inherent in public opinion surveys, such as nonresponse, question wording or context effects. In addition, news events may have affected opinions during the period the poll was taken.The demographic profile of this poll of registered voters is an accurate reflection of their respective voter populations. This determination is based on more than 100 statewide polls conducted by Mason-Dixon in Minnesota over the past 32 years – a period that spans eight presidential election cycles that began in 1988.Readers can e-mail questions to matt.delong@startribune.com. Demographic breakdown of this polling sample
PARTY DFL/ Democrat 304 (38%) Republican 263 (33%) Independent/ other 233 (29%) AGE 18-34 129 (16%) 35-49 250 (31%) 50-64 228 (29%) 65+ 187 (23%) Refused 6 (1%) INCOME < $25,000 87 (11%) $25,000-$49,999 134 (17%) $50,000-$74,999 111 (14%) $75,000-$99,999 100 (13%) $100,000+ 143 (18%) Refused 225 (28%) GENDER Men 378 (47%) Women 422 (53%) REGION Hennepin/ Ramsey 255 (32%) Rest of metro 230 (29%) Southern Minnesota 160 (20%) Northern Minnesota 155 (19%) EDUCATION High school
or less 173 (22%) Some college/
Vocational 251 (31%) College graduate 248 (31%) Graduate degree 125 (16%) Refused 3 (0%) INTERVIEW Land-line 277 (35%) Cell Phone 523 (65%)
