Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for October 19, 2021
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
October 19, 2021: Thirty-eight percent (38%) of voters now believe the worst of the pandemic is behind us. A Scott Rasmussen national survey found that 34% believe the worst is yet to come. Those numbers reflect a surge of optimism compared to two weeks ago.[1][2]
Over the past two weeks, the percentage of voters who believe the worst is behind us increased by 10 points, while the percentage of those who believe the worst is yet to come fell by eight points.[1] This is the first time since July that a plurality of voters believe the worst of the pandemic is behind us.[1] Confidence peaked at the end of May when 56% voiced such optimism.[3]
The increased optimism is driven primarily by Republicans. Forty-nine percent (49%) of Republican voters now believe the worst is behind us. That’s up 17 points from two weeks ago. Thirty-four percent (34%) of Democrats now believe the worst is behind us (up five points). So do 32% of independent voters (up seven points).[1]
It is interesting to note that pessimism about the economy is growing at the same time that people are becoming more optimistic about the pandemic. Forty-five percent (45%) of voters believe the country is currently in a recession.[4]
Forty-nine percent (49%) believe that the pandemic is still a threat but that it is far less deadly than it was a year ago. Thirty percent (30%) disagree and 21% are not sure.[1]
Forty-seven percent (47%) believe that people who have not received the COVID vaccine are a bigger threat than vaccine mandates. Forty-three percent (43%) take the opposite view.[1]
| Worst of Pandemic is Behind Us | Worst of Pandemic is Still to Come | Net | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 11-13 | 38% | 34% | +4% |
| Sept. 30-Oct. 2 | 28% | 42% | -14% |
| Sept. 14-15 | 28% | 45% | -17% |
| Aug. 20-22 | 25% | 48% | -23% |
| Aug. 5-7 | 29% | 43% | -14% |
| July 29-31 | 28% | 45% | -17% |
| July 22-24 | 34% | 38% | -4% |
| July 15-17 | 37% | 33% | +4% |
| May 27-29 | 56% | 20% | +36% |
| May 20-22 | 52% | 21% | +31% |
| Apr. 29-May 1 | 50% | 24% | +26% |
| Apr. 15-17 | 41% | 32% | +9% |
| Mar. 4-6 | 42% | 28% | +14% |
| Feb. 18-20 | 39% | 31% | +8% |
| Jan. 28-30 | 33% | 40% | -7% |
| Dec. 10-12 | 21% | 62% | -41% |
| Nov. 27-28 | 18% | 68% | -50% |
| Nov. 12-14 | 22% | 62% | -40% |
| Oct. 15-17 | 22% | 56% | -34% |
| Oct. 8-10 | 27% | 52% | -25% |
| Oct. 1-3 | 24% | 55% | -31% |
| Sept. 3-5 | 29% | 49% | -20% |
| Aug. 13-15 | 20% | 59% | -39% |
| July 23-25 | 15% | 63% | -48% |
| June 4-6 | 29% | 42% | -13% |
| April 9-11 | 16% | 60% | -44% |
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- October 18, 2021 -36 percent of voters have relatives or close friends who will quit their jobs rather than receive a COVID-19 vaccination
- October 15, 2021 -82 percent of voters support term limits for members of Congress
- October 14, 2021 -51 percent of voters say making it harder to cheat is more important than making it easier to vote
- October 13, 2021 - 28 percent of voters believe worst of the pandemic is behind us
- October 12, 2021 -Sixty-seven percent (67%) of voters want asylum seekers detained or deported
- 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.
The Number of the Day is broadcast on local stations across the country. An archive of these broadcasts can be found here.
Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
Ballotpedia is the nonprofit, nonpartisan Encyclopedia of American Politics.
See also
- Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day
- Federal government responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine distribution by state
- State government responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 ScottRasmussen.com, "38% believe worst of pandemic is behind us; most optimistic assessment since July," October 16, 2021 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "survey" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ ScottRasmussen.com, "28% Believe Worst of the Pandemic is Behind Us," October 9, 2021
- ↑ ScottRasmussen.com, "56% Believe Worst of Pandemic Behind Us; 20% Disagree," June 2, 2021
- ↑ ScottRasmussen.com, "45% believe U.S. currently in recession," October 15, 2021
