NBC News|SurveyMonkey Weekly Election Tracking Poll

Embargoed for release Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 6:00AM

NBC News has partnered with SurveyMonkey to conduct a weekly online tracking poll throughout the 2016
election cycle. The poll will track voter preferences and attitudes. Results will be released every Tuesday at 6:00AM
and are among registered voters.
TOPLINE RESULTS
Which one of the following issues matters MOST to you right now?
12/28/15-1/3/16
Foreign policy
6
The environment
8
Terrorism
23
Immigration
8
Health care
14
Jobs and the economy
27
Education
9
Other
5
No answer
1
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president?
12/28/15-1/3/16
Strongly approve
23
Somewhat approve
25
Somewhat disapprove
12
Strongly disapprove
40
No answer
1
Over the past week, did you follow news about candidates for the 2016 presidential election:
12/28/15-1/3/16
Extremely closely
13
Very closely
23
Somewhat closely
37
Not so closely
17
Not at all closely
9
No answer
In politics today, do you consider yourself a Republican, Democrat, or Independent?
12/28/15-1/3/16
Republican
30
Democrat
34
Independent
34
No answer
2
As of today, do you lean more to the Republican Party or more to the Democratic Party? [AMONG IND OR
DONT KNOW FOR PARTY]
12/28/15-1/3/16
Republican
37
Democrat
24
Neither
37
No answer
1

If the 2016 Republican presidential primary or caucus in your state were being held today, for whom would you
vote? [AMONG REP & REP LEANERS]
12/28/15-1/3/16
Jeb Bush
6
Ben Carson
9
Chris Christie
4
Ted Cruz
18
Carly Fiorina
3
Jim Gilmore
Mike Huckabee
2
John Kasich
2
Rand Paul
2
Marco Rubio
13
Rick Santorum
1
Donald Trump
35
Don't know
5
No answer
1
If the 2016 Democratic presidential primary or caucus in your state were being held today, for whom would you
vote? [AMONG DEM & DEM LEANERS]
12/28/15-1/3/16
Hillary Clinton
53
Martin O'Malley
2
Bernie Sanders
36
Don't know
8
No answer
1

And what are the chances that you will vote for the candidate you just selected in the Republican primary or
caucus in your state? [AMONG REP & REP LEANERS WHO CHOSE A CANDIDATE]
12/28/15-1/3/16
Absolutely certain I will vote for the candidate
38
Large chance Ill vote for the candidate
40
50-50 chance Ill vote for the candidate
20
Small chance Ill vote for the candidate
3
No answer
And what are the chances that you will vote for the candidate you just selected in the Democratic primary or
caucus in your state? [AMONG DEM & DEM LEANERS WHO CHOSE A CANDIDATE]
12/28/15-1/3/16
Absolutely certain I will vote for the candidate
48
Large chance Ill vote for the candidate
33
50-50 chance Ill vote for the candidate
15
Small chance Ill vote for the candidate
3
No answer
1

In this list, who is your second choice for the Republican nomination for president in 2016? [AMONG REP & REP
LEANERS WHO MAY CHANGE THEIR VOTE]
12/28/15-1/3/16
Jeb Bush
9
Ben Carson
11
Chris Christie
6
Ted Cruz
22
Carly Fiorina
5
Jim Gilmore
Mike Huckabee
3
John Kasich
2
Rand Paul
Marco Rubio
13
Rick Santorum
1
Donald Trump
14
Don't know
11
No answer
In this list, who is your second choice for the Democratic nomination for president in 2016? [AMONG DEM &
DEM LEANERS WHO MAY CHANGE THEIR VOTE]
12/28/15-1/3/16
Hillary Clinton
30
Martin O'Malley
8
Bernie Sanders
31
Don't know
30
No answer
Regardless of whom you support, who do you think will win the Republican nomination for president in 2016?
[AMONG REP & REP LEANERS]
12/28/15-1/3/16
Jeb Bush
5
Ben Carson
5
Chris Christie
2
Ted Cruz
22
Carly Fiorina
Jim Gilmore
Mike Huckabee
John Kasich
1
Rand Paul
Marco Rubio
11
Rick Santorum
Donald Trump
49
No answer
5
Regardless of whom you support, who do you think will win the Democratic nomination for president in 2016?
[AMONG DEM & DEM LEANERS]
12/28/15-1/3/16
Hillary Clinton
77
Martin O'Malley
2
Bernie Sanders
19
No answer
2

Which one of the following candidate qualities matters MOST in your decision for whom you are supporting for
president in 2016?
12/28/15-1/3/16
Right experience
8
Shares my values
14
Cares about people like me
11
Is not a typical politician
10
Has the right temperament
2
Is a strong leader
19
Is honest and trustworthy
16
Willing to stand up for his/her principles, no matter what
18
No answer
1
We'd like to get your feelings using a feeling thermometer. Ratings between 5 and 10 mean that you feel
favorably and warm toward the group; ratings between 0 and 5 degrees mean that you don't feel favorably
towards the group and that you don't care too much for that group. If you don't feel particularly warm or cold
toward a group you would rate them at 5.
On a scale from 0-10, how would you rate the Republican Party?
12/28/15-1/3/16
0
21
1
9
2
8
3
8
4
6
5
16
6
8
7
8
8
7
9
2
10
4
No answer
1
On a scale from 0-10, how would you rate the Democratic Party?
12/28/15-1/3/16
0
21
1
7
2
8
3
6
4
5
5
15
6
7
7
10
8
9
9
4
10
7
No answer
1

People experience and participate in the ongoing election campaigns in various ways. Thinking carefully, which
of the following applies to you over the past week? (Select all that apply.)
12/28/15-1/3/16
Donated money to a political party or candidate
7
Worked/volunteered for a political party or candidate
2
Talked to someone about a political party or candidate
46
Posted on social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter) about a candidate
17
Received a phone call from a political campaign
11
Received a piece of mail from a political campaign
24
Received an email from a political campaign
28
Received a house visit from a political campaign
2
Saw an advertisement about a candidate on television
48
Saw an advertisement about a candidate on the internet
37
Attended a political rally or event for a party or candidate
3
I did not do, see, or receive anything from a party or candidate
18
In general, how would you describe your views on most political issues? Are you:
12/28/15-1/3/16
Very conservative
12
Conservative
27
Moderate
38
Liberal
15
Very liberal
7
No answer
1
Are you:
Male
Female

12/28/15-1/3/16
47
53

18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65 and older

12/28/15-1/3/16
8
15
16
19
19
23

White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Other

12/28/15-1/3/16
75
12
7
1
5

Age

Are you:

What is your current religion, if any?

Christian/Protestant/Methodist/Lutheran/Baptist
Catholic
Mormon
Greek or Russian Orthodox
Jewish
Muslim
Buddhist
Hindu
Atheist or agnostic
Nothing in particular
Other
No answer

12/28/15-1/3/16
47
20
2
2
1
8
11
7
1

Some people think of themselves as evangelical or born again Christians. Do you ever think of yourself in either
of these ways?
12/28/15-1/3/16
Yes
28
No
71
No answer
1
Are you of Hispanic or Latino origin or descent, or not?
12/28/15-1/3/16
Yes
2
No
98
What is the last grade of school you completed?
12/28/15-1/3/16
Did not complete high school
4
High school or G.E.D.
29
Associate's degree
9
Some college
22
College graduate
20
Post graduate degree
16
My total family income last year was:
Under $15,000
Between $15,000 and $29,999
Between $30,000 and $49,999
Between $50,000 and $74,999
Between $75,000 and $99,999
Between $100,000 and $150,000
Over $150,000
No answer

12/28/15-1/3/16
10
13
15
18
13
15
11
6

METHODOLOGY
The NBC News|SurveyMonkey Weekly Election Tracking Poll for the week of December 28, 2015 through January
3, 2016 was conducted online among a national sample of 3,700 adults aged 18 and over, including 3,181 who say
they are registered to vote. Respondents for this survey were selected from the nearly three million people who
take surveys on the SurveyMonkey platform each day. Data for this week has been weighted for age, race,
sex, education, region, and voter registration status using the Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor
Statistics Current Population Survey to reflect the demographic composition of the United States.
Because the sample is based on those who initially self-selected for participation rather than a probability sample,
no estimates of sampling error can be calculated. All surveys may be subject to multiple sources of error, including,
but not limited to sampling error, coverage error, and measurement error.
To assess the variability in the estimates and account for design effects, we create a bootstrap confidence interval
to produce an error estimate. The bootstrap confidence interval for this survey is plus or minus 2.0 percentage
points for the full sample and also for registered voters.
To calculate the bootstrap confidence interval we use the weighted data to generate 5000 independent samples
and calculate the 95% confidence intervals for the weighted average. When analyzing the survey results and their
accuracy, this error estimate should be taken into consideration in much the same way that analysis of probability
polls takes into account the margin of sampling error.
Group

Unweighted N

Plus or minus

Total sample
Total RVs

3700
3181

1.9
2.0

Republican RVs
Democrat RVs

949
1060

3.7
3.3

18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+

262
473
513
779
852
821

6.8
5
5.1
4
3.9
3.9

White
Black
Hispanic
Other

2599
428
390
283

2.2
5.2
5.6
6.7

Clinton voters
Sanders voters
Trump voters
Cruz voters
Rubio voters

830
558
497
282
221

3.6
4.8
5.1
6.4
7.4