Chapman University’s 2020 Orange County Annual Survey found that the majority of OC residents support the mandatory COVID-19 mask mandate, among other partisan issues.
Chapman University surveyed 703 OC residents on issues related to COVID-19 and other current events. The results showed that the majority of those surveyed believed in the severity of the pandemic and supported the implementation of safety measures by the government.
According to a press release by the university, “83% of those surveyed believed the coronavirus is a real threat and 80% said it is not fully under control in Orange County.”
Survey respondents were largely in support of government action against the virus; 90% supported social distancing rules, and 70% answered in support of a national mask mandate. 73% of those surveyed viewed the government’s actions as “just right” or “not going far enough,” while 27% felt the government went “too far.”
The OC Annual Survey is a yearly project conducted by Chapman University’s Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences to measure OC residents’ views on various economic, social and political topics; the project’s annual results are released to the public. The 2020 survey is the third consecutive survey by Chapman and the fourth overall dating to 2010.
“The purpose of this study is to help provide residents’ insights to policymakers and to spark informed debate among the public,” the 2020 OC Annual Survey report said.
The 2020 survey showed a stark partisan divide on many pandemic-related issues. 81% of OC Democrats stated they would want to be vaccinated against COVID-19, in contrast to 58% of Republicans. A similar partisan divide can be identified in that 84% of Republicans believed schools should open immediately with safety precautions while only 31% of Democrats did. Including the 54% of voters who declined to state their political affiliation, 56% of OC residents surveyed were in support of the immediate reopening of schools.
“In contrast to its reputation as the home of conservative extremists who think the threat posed by the coronavirus is over blown and that efforts to contain it are over the top, data suggest that most Orange County residents believe coronavirus is a serious threat and are supportive of government action to fight it. However, the political polarization that exists nationally is also very present here,” Chapman University political science associate professor Fred Smoller said.
The survey also polled OC residents regarding their thoughts on current events beyond the pandemic. 79% of respondents saw climate change as a serious threat and 70% believe climate change is caused by humans.
In the political realm, while 67% of Republicans believe the 2020 presidential election was not conducted fairly, 97% of Democrats and 73% of the decline-to-state respondents said the opposite, which rounded out to a 69% majority believing the election was fair.
In addition, 48% of respondents were in favor of recalling California Gov. Gavin Newsom from office before his term ends in 2023, with that number being the partisan result of 80% of Republicans versus only 16% of Democrats.
“OC today is diverse both culturally and politically. Registration numbers for the two major political parties are relatively close, and the county has a significant number of independent voters. OC is increasingly looking for like the rest of the country as opposed to being an ultra-conservative outlier among coastal California counties,” Chapman University leadership studies professor Mike Moodian said.
Eva Cluff is a City News Intern for the winter 2021 quarter. She can be reached at ecluff@uci.edu.
