What voters want the other side to know about them

Plus, voters' views of Trump's post-election messaging December 19, 2020 Weekly Roundup The latest findings from Pew Research Center · Subscribe ↗ There’s no doubt the 2020 election has left us feeling more divided as a nation. And supporters of both Joe Biden and Donald Trump feel stereotyped and misunderstood by those on the other side. In November, we asked survey respondents on our American Trends Panel what they wish people who backed the other candidate better understood about them. Our new interactive summarizes the themes that arose and allows you to read what people said, in their own words. You’ll see threads of optimism in some responses, but also reminders of how deep – and in some cases dehumanizing – the partisan divide has become. In these vitriolic times, it can be hard to remember what unites us as Americans. My hope is that the Center’s work in 2021 can help improve our understanding of the “other side” and bridge these widening divides. Michael Dimock President, Pew Research Center Voters say those on the other side ‘don’t get’ them. Here’s what they want them to know Large shares of both Joe Biden supporters and Donald Trump supporters say those who voted for the other candidate have little or no understanding of people like them. If they had the chance to tell them, what would they want those on the opposing side to know? We asked – and our survey respondents had a lot to say. What Biden and Trump supporters tell us in their own words about America’s political divisions From 2019: Would you share your views of Donald Trump over dinner? Most Republicans approve of Trump’s post-election messaging, but about a third say it has been wrong Americans across the partisan divide have drastically different opinions about the public statements made by Donald Trump and Joe Biden since polls closed Nov. 3. Majorities in each party approve of their candidate’s post-election messaging and disapprove of the opponent’s message. But Republicans are more divided than Democrats. Roughly a third of Republicans say Trump has been delivering the wrong message – and a nearly identical share say Biden has been delivering the right one. Americans generally approve of their news sources’ election coverage, but Republicans less so than Democrats Black eligible voters have accounted for nearly half of Georgia electorate’s growth since 2000 Two runoff elections in Georgia will determine control of the U.S. Senate next year. A key voting bloc will be Black residents, who have played a significant role in the growth of the state’s electorate over the past two decades. Between 2000 and 2019, Georgia’s eligible voter population grew by 1.9 million, with nearly half of the increase attributed to Black eligible voters. Key findings about voter engagement in the 2020 election Most Americans don’t answer cellphone calls from unknown numbers Americans just aren’t picking up the phone much anymore. Eight-in-ten Americans say they don’t generally answer their cellphone when an unknown number calls. Only 19% of U.S. adults say they generally answer the phone for an unknown number. And though much has been made of younger adults’ distaste for phone conversations, the survey finds that Americans ages 18 to 29 are more likely to take calls from unknown numbers than those in older age groups. How accurate will the 2020 U.S. census be? We’ll know more soon The coronavirus outbreak inflicted multiple disruptions on census operations this year, raising questions about how accurate the decennial count’s U.S. population statistics will be. The agency traditionally sponsors a broad program of self-evaluation of the once-a-decade national population count. Here’s what we know about how the accuracy of this year’s census will be measured. Views of Russia and Putin remain negative across 14 nations What we’ve learned about Americans’ views of technology during the time of COVID-19 People globally offer mixed views of the impact of artificial intelligence, job automation on society Around the world, people who trust others are more supportive of international cooperation Women in many countries face harassment for clothing deemed too religious – or too secular Decoded: How quantitative methods can supplement a qualitative approach when working with focus groups From our research 2% The shares of both Biden and Trump voters who say those who voted for the opposing candidate understand them “very well.” Support Pew Research Center In times of uncertainty, good decisions demand good data. Please support Pew Research Center with a contribution on the Center's behalf to our parent organization, The Pew Charitable Trusts. DONATE Newsletter preferences View in browser Unsubscribe Facebook Twitter Instagram Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank. As a neutral source of data and analysis, Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. © 2020 Pew Research Center