A new survey from The Midwest Newsroom and Emerson College shows that a majority of Missourians are in support of paid medical leave.
This includes people from a variety of demographics, including women voters and voters of color.
The Harris Walz campaign has prioritized paid medical leave on the election trail. And it’s a popular issue in Missouri, the new poll shows.
But despite this, polling also shows Missouri is likely to go to Donald Trump – who’s leading a party that does not typically prioritize paid medical leave policy.
Peverill Squire is a political science professor at the University of Missouri. He said this is an example of Missourians voting Republican while liking Democrat-backed policies.
He said that’s why there are more Democratic measures on the ballot.
“I think we will probably have a smaller margin between the Republican candidates that win and the Democrats who lose in statewide groups because of those ballot measures,” Squire said.
Squire said Missourians can expect to see more Democrat-backed policies on future Missouri ballots as ballot measures can be a good means to get out the vote.
When it comes to seeing policy passed in state or federal congresses Marcia McCormick, a professor of law at St Louis University, said there’s not a lot of political will to get the policy off the drawing board rather than focus on ideologically charged issues.
“And there’s a lot more interest in sort of ideologically driven legislation,” McCormick said.
McCormick said no matter how the chips fall on Election Day, the ideological divide is likely to remain. Popular bipartisan policies like paid medical leave have faced Congressional gridlock for decades.
