Poll: Plurality of Arizonans Oppose Electric Choice

A plurality of Arizona voters oppose electric deregulation, according to a poll by MBQF Consulting.

Among Arizona "high efficacy" voters, 32% of respondents say they support electric deregulation, 41% say they oppose it, and 27% remain undecided.

Republicans are split nearly evenly, with 35% supporting deregulation to 38% who oppose it, and 27% still undecided. Just 26% of Democrats support deregulation, while 45% oppose and 28% remain undecided. Independent voters showed 34% support; 42% oppose and 24% remain undecided.

"A lesson we take from this is that no side in this debate has really gained any huge dominance over the other," said MBQF Consulting founder and CEO Mike Noble. "As is so frequently the case, influence rests with the undecided voters, and that puts all the more pressure on the companies and the stakeholders in this debate to develop new and more convincing arguments to reach Arizona citizens."

MBQF surveyed 516 high efficacy Arizona voters between August 5th and 7th, 2013. Voters were given a summary explanation of the deregulation issue, and then asked whether they supported, opposed or were undecided about electric deregulation. Issue explanations were randomized to present the question in a different order to each half of respondents. Included in this survey were 516 autodial responses with rotating samples to ensure issue fairness. The Margin of Error for this survey is +/-4.3% at the 95% confidence level.