This memorandum reports on a statewide telephone survey of 605 Massachusetts voters
conducted March 17 – 22, 2015.
Findings
Massachusetts voters are strongly supportive of spending measures designed to expand access to
high-quality pre-k. Improving public education is a top priority for voters, and expanding pre-k
access is seen as providing children a major educational benefit. Voters believe expanding access
is essential to giving kids from lower-income families a fair chance of keeping up in school.
Pre-K is Essential for Creating a Level
Playing Field so Kids from Low-Income
Families Don’t Start School Behind
(Not sure)
3%
Voters’ Top Policy Priorities
Top Priority for MA
64%
Improving public education
Addressing the cost of
health care
(Not sure)
Reducing crime and20%
violence
Disagree
19%
Very
Agree important
58%
78%
Lowering taxes
Promoting environmental
sustainability
58%
51%
38%
34%
Not only do voters support spending to improve access to pre-k, but they believe the state should
invest significant resources in the effort. Majorities of both Democrats and Republicans support
spending at least $250 million, as do majorities of every demographic group. Women (especially
college-educated women), more liberal voters, blacks, and Latinos are particularly supportive.
Support for Spending State Money on Expanding Access to Pre-K –
Overall and at Specific Expenditure Levels
Overall support for expanding Pre-K
(Not sure)
5%
Support for expanding Pre-K if it costs…
% Support
67%
$250 million annually
(Not sure)
20%
Oppose
29%
SupportVery
66%
important
58%
61%
$500 million annually
$1 billion annually
47%
Support for expanding pre-k is driven in large part by two factors: broad recognition of the
importance of pre-k, and a belief that children in the Commonwealth lack access to quality
programs.
Importance of Pre-K for Preparing
Children to Succeed
Perceptions of Access to Pre-K
Not at all (Not sure)
1%
6%
Not very
7%
(Not sure)
20%
Somewhat
important
28%
Very
important
58%
Yes (children have
adequate access)
45%
No (children lack
adequate access)
35%
Even with the state facing a budget deficit, voters believe the state should prioritize adequately
funding public education over holding a hard line on taxes and spending. Underscoring the
importance of this belief, voters are more likely to vote for state legislators who support
expanding pre-k – even those that would raise taxes to do so.
Support for Legislator who Raised
Taxes to Fund Pre-K
(Not sure)
3%
(Neither / Not sure)
10%
Less likely to
support
41%
Attitudes toward Statewide Fiscal
Priorities
More likely
Very to
support
important
50%
58%
(Not sure)
20%
Holding a hard
line on taxes and
spending
34%
Making sure there
is funding for
things like public
education
63%
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Methodology
605 Massachusetts voters were interviewed as part of this poll. Interviews were conducted by
trained professionals working from a central, monitored location between the dates of March 17
– 22, 2015. Telephone numbers were randomly selected, and respondents were contacted on both
landline and cell phones. The overall results have a margin of error of ± 3.5%; the margin of
error within individual subgroups is higher.
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About Anderson Robbins Research
Anderson Robbins Research is a Boston-based firm specializing in providing highly accurate research to political
and corporate clients. ARR president Chris Anderson has provided polling to a presidential campaign, numerous
ballot initiative campaigns, local and state political candidates, and is currently the Democratic pollster on a
bipartisan team that conducts a regular national telephone poll of 1,000 voters on behalf of the FOX News Channel.
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