Who considers global warming a voting issue?

The report finds that while global warming is generally ranked lower than immediate issues like terrorism and healthcare, its importance as a voting priority varies significantly by political affiliation and geography. Liberal Democrats rank it as the fourth most important issue, whereas conservative Republicans rank it as the least important of 28 issues. Regional differences are evident, with high priority in states like New York and Hawaii, and lower priority in states like Alabama and West Virginia. However, the broader issue of environmental protection is a higher priority for about half of registered voters.

• Global warming is generally ranked as a lower priority for American voters compared to more immediate concerns. In a Pew Research Center poll, 46% of Americans viewed climate change as a top priority, while 73% prioritized terrorism, 68% healthcare costs, and 67% social security. Among 28 issues influencing the 2018 Congressional vote, global warming ranked 15th in importance.
• Political ideology strongly dictates the importance of global warming to voters. For liberal Democrats, it is the fourth most important issue for voting decisions, whereas for conservative Republicans, it is the least important of 28 issues. This is reflected in Pew Research data showing 68% of Democrats and 18% of Republicans view it as a top policy priority.
• Geographic location and exposure to climate-related events influence voting priorities. High rankings are found in Washington DC (8th), Hawaii (9th), New York (11th), and California (13th). In contrast, it is ranked lower in Alabama, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Some red states, such as Alaska and Florida, hover around the national average due to local impacts like permafrost melting and sea level rise.
• While global warming specifically may be ranked low, the broader category of environmental protection is a more significant priority, with approximately 50% of registered voters stating a candidate's position on protecting the environment is very important to their vote.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2018). Who considers global warming a voting issue? https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-voters/

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Who considers global warming a voting issue? 2018. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-voters/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Who considers global warming a voting issue? |date=2 November 2018 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-voters/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2018who, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Who considers global warming a voting issue?}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2018}, month = nov, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-voters/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }