2/3 of Florida voters say religion matters in presidential race

voting button on Holy Bible with American flag
Yet less than half say religion plays a positive role in politics.

Many Florida voters are considering the divine before they enter the ballot box.

That’s one takeaway from a fresh survey released by Religion News Service.

A total of 67% of Sunshine State voters say religion will play a role in determining who they support in November’s presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

For perspective, that percentage is greater than in the five other states that got breakouts in the poll: California, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

A full 21% say the religious question is “essential” to their choice. Another 28% deem it “significant,” while an additional 18% say it’s “important.”

Neither Trump nor Harris play up faith in the manner of President Joe Biden, a devout mass-attending Catholic.

In other findings in the poll, 72% of Floridians say it’s “extremely” or “very important” to understand different religions, more than the other five states with breakouts, and 14 points above the national average for that question.

Floridians are also most likely to say religion plays a positive role in regard to political matters, including global issues and “arts and entertainment.”

Sunshine State residents are only two points behind Pennsylvanians (74% to 72%) in affirming the “positive” role of religion in education, leading all other major states that got breakouts in the survey.

That said, it’s not all hosannas. Only 47% of Florida respondents say religion plays a positive role in politics, four points less than the national average.

Floridians are also most likely to say they have witnessed religious discrimination in the last year, with 39% of them making that claim. That’s more than any other state broken out in the survey.

The poll also reviewed regional variations, including the likelihood of praying before voting. There, 62% of people in the South, which geographically includes Florida, say they pray before hitting the ballot box. Single state data was not provided for that inquiry.

Researchscape International conducted the online poll of 1,087 U.S. adults Aug. 16-19. The margin of error is ±4%.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. He writes for the New York Post and National Review also, with previous work in the American Conservative and Washington Times and a 15+ year run as a columnist in Folio Weekly. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


7 comments

  • Yrral

    September 4, 2024 at 4:57 pm

    MAGA worship at altar at their White Supremacy Devil TRUMP Google Trump Mock Religion Google Jesus Count California Ballots

    • rick r religious reasons, who needs them, i don't.whitaker

      September 4, 2024 at 5:17 pm

      YARRL all religions kill for religious reasons, who needs them, i don’t. phuk religion.

  • Yrral

    September 4, 2024 at 7:52 pm

    Lots of Christian are willing to sell out their soul for hypocrite like Trump,who mock them and religion and lots of you that vote for Trump is one of them,if you can find one thing redemning about Trump,that is here right now,if you cannot,why would you vote for someone,like Trump

  • Yrral

    September 5, 2024 at 6:14 pm

    Lots of Christian here,are not showing their faith in Trump,I do.not mock religion,since i.am.a non.believer,but they who.believe should hold themselves to.higher standard,and not be led astray ,like your bible say Do not be yoked to the nonbelievers Trump

  • Frank

    September 6, 2024 at 2:49 pm

    God like some maga say
    Good orderly discipline

  • Sundance

    September 6, 2024 at 5:17 pm

    I don’t have Devine I hold a pitchfork

  • Jim

    September 9, 2024 at 6:45 pm

    Religious ideology has caused more chaos. Anarchy. Wars. And death than anything. Used by politicians. Kings. Authoritarians. Dictators. Warlords. All to keep the people fear, in anger, in confusion and loyal. People are sheep and have been since the beginning. That’s the reason behind the start of religion. My observation.

Comments are closed.


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