Poll findings that didn't make the front page
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Beyond headlines on voters' attitudes about the cost of living and politicians' popularity in Massachusetts, many of the findings from Tuesday's Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll got little attention in the paper.
Why it matters: The overlooked poll data shows a deeper picture of where Bay State voters stand on AI, remote work and kids in classrooms.
On return to office: Overall, 65% of Massachusetts voters oppose mandatory return-to-office policies, according to the poll.
- The in-office debate is sorted almost entirely by party in Massachusetts, with just 14% of Democrats behind a full-time in-person requirement.
- 53% of Republicans support it, though the GOP makes up only 8.4% of the state's enrolled voters. The poll respondents were 10.6% Republican.
Between the lines: The ideological gap on the return-to-office question is wider than almost any other issue in the survey, and it's even more polarized than views on the state's direction.
- It shows that for Democrats, remote flexibility is now something of a non-negotiable.
On AI: Massachusetts workers are more hopeful than alarmed about artificial intelligence.
- 36% say AI will make them better at their jobs.
- 24% fear being replaced by tech.
- Notably, 19% say they simply don't know how to use the technology, showing a knowledge gap in the workforce.
On school attendance: 82% of voters say in-person education matters more now than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yes, but: Households with school-age children say they take their kids out of school for all sorts of reasons:
- Illness: 78%
- Vacation or holiday travel: 50%
- Mental health days: 29%
- Visiting relatives: 29%
- Sports or competitions: 19%
- Oversleeping: 16%
It looks like parents are allowing absences for leisure activities at nearly double the rate they're doing so for mental health reasons.
Disability representation: The Suffolk poll finds broad public demand for inclusion of disabled people in media.
- 54% say people with disabilities are underrepresented in TV, film and advertising.
- 59% say actors with disabilities should play characters with disabilities.
The poll's margin of error is +/- 4.4%.