Cuomo earns high marks for COVID-19 handling in New York

Washington, DC, October 21, 2020 –  A new Spectrum News/Ipsos polls conducted in New York explores gubernatorial approval, sentiments toward COVID-19, voting behavior, and more. 

Detailed Findings

Governor Cuomo enjoys high approval ratings, bolstered by strong support in New York City. Mayor Bill de Blasio is also viewed positively, but less so than Cuomo.

• Two-thirds (65%) of people in New York State approve of the job Gov. Andrew Cuomo is doing, including 71% in New York City, and 60% in both the areas surrounding the city (Long Island/Westchester) and the rest of the state.
• When looking at a number of issues, Cuomo earns his highest marks for his handling of COVID-19 (67%), but is at 50% or above on every issue tested.
• Half (49%) of New York City residents approve of the job Mayor de Blasio is doing. Though he still enjoys positive job ratings overall, he tracks far below Cuomo on a number of issues. For example, 52% of New Yorkers approve of the job de Blasio is doing on COVID-19, compared to 73% who feel the same way about Cuomo.
• A majority in New York City disapprove of the job de Blasio is doing on homelessness (55%) and his plans for sending children back to school (51%). On the latter, a vast majority believe all schools in NYC should have started the year only with remote learning (70%) and want to see Cuomo and the State Education Department take over the management of reopening NYC schools (61%).

Safety is a concern for a majority of people in New York City. However, most still see a future for themselves in the city. Additionally, more than half support housing homeless people in their neighborhood.

• Fifty-eight percent agree they feel less safe in their neighborhood compared to a year ago. Slightly more (62%) support NYC government housing homeless people in hotels or shelters in their neighborhood.
• New Yorkers are also split on whether Mayor de Blasio is doing a good job handling crime and public safety: 44% approve, 47% disapprove. Most in the city, and statewide, feel the 2019 bail reform increased crime in New York (53% statewide, 54% among NYC residents), but there is more support for revision (66% statewide and 65% in NYC) than full repeal (51% in both areas).
• Nearly two-thirds (64%) say they see a future for themselves in New York City. However, lower-income residents are less likely to feel this way: 59% of those with an income of less than $50,000 agree, compared to 78% with a household income of more than $100,000.

A majority, both in NYC and New York State, would prefer to vote in person for the upcoming election. Though a majority are confident their vote would be counted if they voted by mail, confidence is significantly lower than for in-person voting.

• Preferences are fairly similar between NYC residents and the overall state: 54% in NYC and 58% statewide would prefer to vote in person. Those in Long Island and Westchester are even more eager to vote in person (69%).
• Overall, 81% are confident their vote will be counted if they vote in person on Election Day, 24 percentage points higher than the level of confidence surrounding mail/absentee ballots (57%).
• Statewide, a majority feel less favorable toward President Trump due to his public comments around mask-wearing and social distancing (56%) and because of his performance in the first presidential debate (54%).

About the Study   

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between October 7-19, 2020, on behalf of Spectrum News. For this survey, a sample of 1,451 adults age 18+ from New York State was interviewed online in English, including an oversample of 451 respondents in the five New York City boroughs, for a total of 850 interviews in those boroughs.

The sample for this study was randomly drawn from Ipsos’ online panel (see link below for more info on “Access Panels and Recruitment”), partner online panel sources, and “river” sampling (see link below for more info on the Ipsos “Ampario Overview” sample method) and does not rely on a population frame in the traditional sense. Ipsos uses fixed sample targets, unique to each study, in drawing a sample. After a sample has been obtained from the Ipsos panel, Ipsos calibrates respondent characteristics to be representative of the population of New York using standard procedures such as raking-ratio adjustments. The source of these population targets is U.S. Census 2019 American Community Survey data. The sample drawn for this study reflects fixed sample targets on demographics. Posthoc weights were made to the population characteristics on gender, age, race/ethnicity, region, and education.

Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online non-probability polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error. Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to the effects of rounding. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points for all respondents. Ipsos calculates a design effect (DEFF) for each study based on the variation of the weights, following the formula of Kish (1965). This study had a credibility interval adjusted for design effect of the following (n=1,451, DEFF=1.5, adjusted Confidence Interval=+/-4.4 percentage points).

The poll also has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points for respondents in the New York City boroughs, and plus or minus 5.3 percentage points for just the NYC oversample (n=451).

For more information on this news release, please contact: 

Chris Jackson 
Senior Vice President, US   
Public Affairs   
+1 202 420-2025   
[email protected]     

Mallory Newall 
Director, US   
Public Affairs   
+1 202 420-2014   
[email protected]     

Kate Silverstein 
Media Relations Specialist, US   
Public Affairs   
+1 718 755-8829
[email protected] 

About Ipsos   

Ipsos is the world’s third largest market research company, present in 90 markets and employing more than 18,000 people.   

Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. We serve more than 5000 clients across the world with 75 business solutions.   

Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1st, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and the Mid-60 index and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).    ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP www.ipsos.com