A poll published Wednesday shows sharp political division over President Biden’s vaccine mandates unveiled earlier this month. As Katie reported, Biden released new initiatives as part of his plan titled "Path Out of the Pandemic." One mandate in the plan forces private companies with more than 100 employees to mandate the Wuhan coronavirus vaccine. Biden said the rule will be enforced by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The poll, conducted by the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found steep political divisions regarding the vaccine mandate. The results found that 51 percent of respondents strongly or somewhat approve of Biden’s worker vaccination mandate, 34 percent strongly or somewhat disapprove, and 14 percent neither approve or disapprove.
Going further, the poll surveyed respondents' political affiliation along with their approval of the mandate. 77 percent of Democrats polled said they strongly or somewhat support the mandate. Just over one third of Independents, 37 percent, and just over one fourth of Republicans, 27 percent, strongly or somewhat approve of the vaccine mandate. Over half of respondents who are Republicans, 62 percent, strongly or somewhat disapprove of the mandate while 35 percent of Independents strongly or somewhat disapprove of the mandate.
Out of respondents who are vaccinated, 64 percent of them strongly or somewhat approve of the vaccine mandate. Only 23 percent of vaccinated respondents strongly or somewhat disapprove. Out of unvaccinated respondents, 14 percent strongly or somewhat approve of the mandate while an overwhelming majority, 67 percent, strongly or somewhat disapprove.
Seventy percent of respondents who work from home approve of the vaccine mandates. Only 17 percent of respondents who work from home disapprove. On the contrary, 46 percent of respondents who work in-person support the mandate. 40 percent of respondents disapprove.
According to the poll write-up, the survey was conducted Sept. 23 to 27 with 1,099 adults. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.2 percentage points.