Polls

About the Tracking Polls

Previous Polls

Interviews with 1,573 likely voters, conducted November 2-3, 1996. Note that the margin of error has changed from plus or minus three percentage points to plus or minus 2.5 points.


Poll results

Likely Voters' Presidential Choice

Clinton
Dole
Perot
51%
35%
8%
Sampling error: +/-2.5 percentage points

Today's results show only small changes in the election, with Bill Clinton's share of the vote just above the 50 percent mark and Bob Dole's strength still in the mid-30's. If the election were held today, Clinton would win 51 percent of the vote, compared to 35 percent for Dole and 8 percent for Perot. Six percent are undecided on the eve of the election. If many of those undecided voters vote for Dole or Perot, the final election results could be closer than today's numbers indicate.

This is not a prediction of the election's outcome. The tracking poll will be conducting interviews up until the last possible moment and will release another figure very late on Monday night.


Suppose that the 1996 presidential election were being held today and it included Bill Clinton and Al Gore as the Democratic candidates, Bob Dole and Jack Kemp as the Republican candidates, and Ross Perot and Pat Choate as the Reform Party candidates. Would you vote for Bill Clinton and Al Gore, the Democrats -- Bob Dole and Jack Kemp, the Republicans -- or Ross Perot, the Reform Party candidate? If undecided, as of today, do you lean toward Clinton and Gore, the Democrats, Dole and Kemp, the Republicans, or Perot and Choate, the Reform Party candidates?

Likely Voters

Clinton
Dole
Perot
10/25-26
52%
35%
8%
10/26-27
49%
37%
7%
10/27-28
51%
35%
7%
10/28-29
49%
35%
11%
10/29-30
51%
35%
10%
10/30-31
52%
34%
10%
10/31-11/1
50%
37%
7%
11/1-2
50%
37%
7%
11/2-3
51%
35%
8%

Question to Perot voters: Who would be your second choice for President -- Dole or Clinton?

Likely Voters

Clinton
Dole
10/25-26
55%
38%
10/26-27
53%
39%
10/27-28
55%
36%
10/28-29
55%
38%
10/29-30
56%
39%
10/30-31
55%
38%
10/31-11/1
53%
39%
11/1-2
54%
38%
11/2-3
54%
38%

Is there any chance you would vote for Bill Clinton/Bob Dole/Ross Perot in the November election, or is there no chance whatsoever that you would vote for him?

Likely Voters
Bill Clinton
Plan to vote for him
Some chance
No chance whatsoever
9/11-13
51%
14%
35%
10/11-12
56%
10%
34%
11/2-3
51%
10%
39%

Likely Voters
Bob Dole
Plan to vote for him
Some chance
No chance whatsoever
9/11-13
35%
19%
45%
10/11-12
35%
15%
50%
11/2-3
35%
13%
52%

Likely Voters
Ross Perot
Plan to vote for him
Some chance
No chance whatsoever
9/11-13
7%
19%
74%
10/11-12
4%
16%
80%
11/2-3
8%
18%
74%

Next, I will read off the names of some people in the news. As I read each name, please say whether you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of this person -- or if you have never heard of him.

Likely Voters
Bill Clinton
Favorable
Unfavorable
10/15-16
58%
38%
10/16-17
58%
38%
10/17-18
61%
34%
10/18-19
58%
37%
10/19-20
59%
36%
10/30-31
60%
37%
10/31-11/1
59%
37%
11/1-2
58%
37%
11/2-3
57%
38%

Likely Voters
Bob Dole
Favorable
Unfavorable
10/15-16
53%
41%
10/16-17
51%
41%
10/17-18
50%
43%
10/18-19
53%
40%
10/19-20
52%
42%
10/30-31
51%
41%
10/31-11/1
53%
39%
11/1-2
52%
41%
11/2-3
50%
43%

Likely Voters
Ross Perot
Favorable
Unfavorable
10/15-16
32%
55%
10/16-17
32%
54%
10/17-18
32%
55%
10/18-19
32%
54%
10/19-20
32%
54%
10/30-31
41%
45%
10/31-11/1
39%
44%
11/1-2
39%
46%
11/2-3
37%
49%

If the elections for Congress were being held today, which party's candidate would you vote for in your congressional district -- the Democratic party's candidate or the Republican party's candidate? (IF UNDECIDED: Do you lean more toward the Democratic party's candidate or the Republican party's candidate?)

Likely Voters

Democratic
Republican
10/25-26
50%
43%
10/26-27
49%
44%
10/27-28
50%
42%
10/28-29
48%
45%
10/29-30
50%
45%
10/30-31
51%
44%
10/31-11/1
49%
46%
11/1-2
50%
44%
11/2-3
51%
43%

Regardless of which presidential candidate you support, please tell me whether you think each of the following statements better applies to Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, or Ross Perot?


Would do a better job handling the economy:
 


Clinton

Dole
Perot
None*
10/25-26
46%
31%
16%
2%
10/26-27
43%
32%
16%
2%
10/27-28
45%
30%
15%
3%
10/28-29
45%
30%
18%
2%
10/29-30
44%
31%
20%
1%
10/30-31
45%
29%
20%
2%
10/31-11/1
43%
32%
17%
2%
11/1-2
45%
30%
18%
2%
11/2-3
45%
30%
18%
2%

Would do a better job handling foreign affairs:
 


Clinton

Dole
Perot
None*
10/25-26
49%
39%
4%
1%
10/26-27
47%
40%
3%
3%
10/27-28
49%
39%
3%
3%
10/28-29
49%
39%
4%
2%
10/29-30
49%
39%
5%
2%
10/30-31
49%
39%
5%
2%
10/31-11/1
48%
40%
5%
2%
11/1-2
48%
40%
4%
2%
11/2-3
47%
41%
4%
2%

Shares your views on the size and role of government:
 


Clinton

Dole
Perot
None*
10/25-26
42%
33%
13%
5%
10/26-27
41%
34%
12%
4%
10/27-28
43%
32%
13%
3%
10/28-29
40%
34%
15%
4%
10/29-30
40%
34%
14%
6%
10/30-31
42%
32%
15%
5%
10/31-11/1
41%
34%
13%
5%
11/1-2
42%
33%
14%
4%
11/2-3
42%
33%
14%
5%

Would provide the best moral leadership for the country:
 


Clinton

Dole
Perot
None*
10/25-26
36%
44%
11%
4%
10/26-27
35%
43%
9%
6%
10/27-28
36%
43%
8%
5%
10/28-29
34%
46%
9%
5%
10/29-30
34%
46%
10%
5%
10/30-31
36%
43%
11%
5%
10/31-11/1
32%
45%
11%
5%
11/1-2
34%
44%
10%
6%
11/2-3
34%
45%
10%
6%

Would do the best job of handling taxes:
 


Clinton

Dole
Perot
None*
10/25-26
41%
33%
15%
4%
10/26-27
39%
33%
15%
4%
10/27-28
40%
33%
15%
4%
10/28-29
38%
37%
16%
4%
10/29-30
39%
35%
17%
5%
10/30-31
41%
30%
19%
4%
10/31-11/1
38%
32%
18%
5%
11/1-2
40%
32%
18%
3%
11/2-3
40%
32%
17%
4%

Can be trusted to keep his promises:
 


Clinton

Dole
Perot
None*
10/25-26
35%
36%
9%
13%
10/26-27
32%
36%
9%
14%
10/27-28
33%
35%
10%
13%
10/28-29
31%
37%
12%
13%
10/29-30
33%
35%
12%
14%
10/30-31
35%
34%
13%
12%
10/31-11/1
31%
37%
12%
13%
11/1-2
32%
35%
11%
15%
11/2-3
34%
35%
10%
15%




Other Results:

(Editor's Note: These are results of questions asked as part of some of the daily surveys.)

Oct. 30-31

Regardless of which presidential candidate you support, please tell me whether you think each of the following statements better applies to Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, or Ross Perot?

Would have an administration with the highest ethical standards:
 


Clinton

Dole
Perot
None*
10/29-30
30%
44%
12%
7%
* = Volunteered response.


It has been suggested that the federal government provide a fixed amount of money for the election campaigns of candidates for the presidency and for Congress, and that all private contributions be prohibited. Do you think this is a good idea or a poor idea?
 

Likely Voters

Good idea

Bad idea
10/29-30
65%
27%

All Americans

Good idea

Bad idea
1973
56%
28%
1974
67%
27%
Sampling error: +/-4 percentage points

It has been suggested that the federal government provide a fixed amount of money for the election campaigns of candidates for Congress, and that all private contributions be prohibited. Do you think this is a good idea or a poor idea?
 

Likely Voters

Good idea

Bad idea
10/29-30
64%
28%

All Americans

Good idea

Bad idea
1977
57%
32%
1979
57%
30%
1982
55%
31%
1984
52%
36%
1987
50%
42%
Sampling error: +/-4 percentage points

Please tell me how important each of the following factors are to your vote for president this year.... extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not important?

The candidates' education policies:
 

Likely Voters

Extremely

Very
Somewhat
Not important
10/29-30
40%
45%
12%
3%

The candidates' economic policies:
 

Likely Voters

Extremely

Very
Somewhat
Not important
10/29-30
35%
53%
9%
2%

The candidates' policies dealing with crime:
 

Likely Voters

Extremely

Very
Somewhat
Not important
10/29-30
35%
48%
13%
3%

The candidates' campaign finances:
 

Likely Voters

Extremely

Very
Somewhat
Not important
10/29-30
14%
27%
37%
20%
Sampling error: +/-4 percentage points


Next, we'd like to rate the ethics of the national DEMOCRATIC Party when it comes to raising campaign money from political contributors. Would you say they are very ethical, moderately ethical, moderately unethical, or very unethical?
 

Likely Voters

Very ethical

Moderately ethical
Moderately unethical
Very unethical
10/29-30
6%
41%
27%
17%
Sampling error: +/-4 percentage points

Next, we'd like to rate the ethics of the national REPUBLICAN Party when it comes to raising campaign money from political contributors. Would you say they are very ethical, moderately ethical, moderately unethical, or very unethical?
 

Likely Voters

Very ethical

Moderately ethical
Moderately unethical
Very unethical
10/29-30
8%
50%
23%
9%
Sampling error: +/-4 percentage points

Oct. 28-29

Do you think the policies being proposed by the Republican leaders in the U.S. House and Senate would move the country in the right direction or in the wrong direction?



Right direction

Wrong direction
10/28-29
49%
36%

Do you think the policies being proposed by President Clinton would move the country in the right direction or in the wrong direction?



Right direction

Wrong direction
10/28-29
55%
33%

Do you think Bob Dole's proposals for dealing with issues facing the country are too old and out of date, or not?



Yes, too old

No, not too old
10/28-29
38%
53%

Oct. 27-28


Please tell me whether or not you think each of the following political officeholders deserves to be re-elected:

The U.S. representative in your congressional district:



Deserves re-election

Does not deserve
10/26-27
61%
19%
10/27-28
62%
19%

Most members of the U.S. House of Representatives:



Deserves re-election

Does not deserve
10/26-27
53%
25%
10/27-28
55%
26%
Sampling error: +/-3 percentage points



If Bill Clinton is re-elected president in November, which party would you prefer to have in control of Congress -- the Republican party or the Democratic party?



Democratic

Republican
Neither*

Doesn't matter*
9/6-8
44%
47%
2%
3%
10/26-27
48%
47%
1%
1%
10/27-28
47%
47%
1%
2%
* = Volunteered response. Sampling error: +/-3 percentage points



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