For Release: Friday, September 24, 2004

 

 

New Yorkers and the Presidential Election:

 Bush’s Post-Convention Boost Over in New York

Kerry Leads Bush 51% - 31%

 

Loudonville, NY – Although most polls showed increased support for President Bush following the Republican National Convention, even in New York State with its majority Democrat population, that support has clearly waned, according to the latest statewide poll by the Siena (College) Research Institute (SRI). 

 

SRI’s poll shows John Kerry leads George Bush 51%/31% among registered likely voters in New York State, a 20-point lead. Ralph Nader drew 2%; 12% said they were unsure, and 5% gave no opinion or refused.

 

Question: If the election for president were held today, and the candidates were (rotate) George W. Bush the Republican, John Kerry the Democrat, and Ralph Nader the Independent, for whom would you vote?

Sept. 20-23, 2004

Bush/Cheney

Kerry/Edwards

Nader/Camejo

 Unsure

no opinion/

refused

Registered

likely voters

31%

51%

2%

12%

5%

 

Support for both Bush and Kerry is strong; three-quarters of voters said they “strongly support” their candidate, and only a small number said they “might vote differently on election day.” By contrast, 52% of Nader’s supporters said they “might vote differently on election day.”

 

Question: Would you say you strongly support (candidate), somewhat support him, or do you think you might vote differently on election day?

Sept. 20-23, 2004 Registered

likely voters

strongly support

somewhat support

might vote differently

 Unsure

no opinion

/refused

Bush/Cheney

75%

19%

5%

1%

0%

Kerry/Edwards

74%

20%

3%

2%

1%

Nader/Camejo

24%

10%

52%

10%

5%

 

“John Kerry’s lead over George W. Bush has returned to pre-Convention levels,” notes Joe Caruso, director of polling for the Siena Research Institute. “Recent polls have shown that following the hype of the Republican National Convention held in New York City, Bush support swelled and the margin between the candidates narrowed, even in heavily Democratic New York State. The SRI poll in July showed Kerry’s lead over Bush 51%/29%. Our poll today shows that the Bush gain in New York proved to be short-lived.”

 

This SRI survey was conducted September 20-23, 2004 by random telephone calls to 1,121 registered voters in New York State.  It has an overall margin of error of  + 2.9 for the population of registered voters likely to vote in the presidential election. For more information or comments, please contact Joe Caruso, SRI Director of Polling, at 518-783-2901 (office) or 518-542-7814 (mobile). Survey Cross-tabulations and frequencies can be found at: www.siena.edu/sri/surveys.asp.