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Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for August 24, 2017
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
August 24, 2017: Eight of Maine’s 16 counties are Pivot Counties that voted twice for Barack Obama and then voted for Donald Trump. Forty-four percent (44%) of all Maine voters live in a Pivot County, a higher percentage than any other state. Combined with the fact that a series of statewide ballot initiatives was on the 2016 ballot, this creates a unique opportunity to explore the differing attitudes between Pivot County voters and others.
The biggest gap was found on Question 3, concerning background checks for firearm sales and transfers. Statewide, 48% of voters supported the initiative. However, in Pivot Counties, the initiative attracted just 38% support. In the state’s seven solidly Democratic counties, 57% voted in favor of background checks. That 19-point gap was the largest found of any of the ballot issues.
There is only one solidly Republican county in Maine, and it accounted for fewer than 10,000 votes.
The smallest gap between the Pivot Counties and Democratic counties was found on a measure that would have increased taxes on high-income residents and used the funds for public education. That was supported by 49% of Pivot County voters and 52% of those living in solidly Democratic counties.
| Issue | Gap between Pivot & Democratic counties (percentage points) | Pivot County support | Democratic county support | Republican county support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 3: Background checks for firearm sale and transfers | 19.1 | 37.7% | 56.8% | 26.8% |
| Question 6: Bonds for transportation projects | 9.8 | 55.8% | 65.6% | 51.1% |
| Question 4: $12 minimum wage | 9.2 | 50.4% | 59.6% | 45.0% |
| Question 5: Ranked-choice voting | 8.5 | 47.5% | 56.0% | 41.6% |
| Question 1: Marijuana legalization | 7.4 | 46.1% | 53.5% | 44.3% |
| Question 2: Income tax surcharge | 3.3 | 48.8% | 52.1% | 42.2% |
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- August 23, 2017 – 116 references to God in state constitutions
- August 22, 2017 – 271 state legislators can’t run in 2018 due to term limits
- August 21, 2017 – 28 percent think climate scientists understand causes of climate change very well
- August 18, 2017 – 354 million downloads of top 10 Android apps in July
- August 17, 2017 – 64 percent believe growing racial and ethnic diversity makes America better
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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See also
- Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day
- Pivot Counties: How the Obama-Obama-Trump counties vote on statewide ballot measures
- Pivot Counties in Maine
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