Three in four likely voters – 74 percent – support offshore drilling for oil in U.S. coastal waters and more than half (59 percent) also favor drilling for oil in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, a new Zogby International telephone poll shows. A majority of likely voters across the political spectrum support offshore oil drilling, with vast majorities of Republicans (90 percent) and independents (75 percent) in favor of drilling for oil off U.S. coastal waters more than half of Democrats (58 percent) also said they favor offshore drilling. Republicans (80 percent) and political independents (57 percent) are much more likely to favor drilling for oil in ANWR than Democrats (40 percent).
The telephone survey of 1,113 likely voters nationwide was conducted June 12-14, and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.0 percentage points
McCain benefits from offshore drilling stance with undecideds
One in four likely voters (25 percent) said they would be more likely to vote for McCain if they knew that as president he would support offshore drilling in U.S. coastal waters just 4 percent said McCain's support for offshore drilling would make him less likely to win their vote, while 57 percent said it made no difference and 15 percent were unsure.
When undecided likely voters were asked about how likely they would be to support McCain if he favored drilling in ANWR, 23 percent would be more likely, while nearly as many (21 percent) said it would make them less likely to vote for McCain. Another 43 percent of likely voters said it would make no difference if McCain supported drilling in ANWR while 14 percent were undecided. McCain recently restated his opposition to drilling in ANWR, but has dropped his opposition to lifting the moratorium on offshore drilling along America's coasts.
Among undecided likely voters, 78 percent support offshore drilling and 58 percent support drilling in ANWR. The vast majority of those likely voters who intend to vote for Republican John McCain in November support both drilling offshore for oil in U.S. coastal waters (91 percent) and drilling for oil in ANWR (82 percent). While just over a third (37 percent) of those who plan to vote for Democrat Barack Obama support drilling in ANWR, more than half (58 percent) of likely voters who favor Obama said they support offshore drilling.