Winthrop University, in partnership with SC ETV, began polling the Southeast in August 2008 to gauge opinions of the region's residents. Poll results were released on Aug. 21 on ETV's show "The Big Picture."

The poll included data from respondents in 11 Southern states on a vast array of topics, from which presidential candidate they favor, to their take on whether our country is on the right track; to whether a VP candidate from the South would influence their vote; to their beliefs about the environment and race relations. The 11 states polled are Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Virginia, NC, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, Florida and South Carolina.

Popular Poll
This venture outside South Carolina was made possible because of the popularity and reliability of the Winthrop/ETV Poll. National and international news sources cited the poll during the months leading up to the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries in South Carolina.

The survey methodology of the Social & Behavioral Research Lab has been vetted by top news organizations and their polling experts. The results have been covered by national and international news organizations including CNN, NBC Nightly News, ABC News, MSNBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the LA Times, The Miami Herald, Politico.com, News Hour (PBS), NPR, BBC, AFP (Agence France-Presse), Tokyo Broadcasting System, and many more.

Trained interviewers administer the polls in the telephone survey research lab on campus. Results are shared with media, citizens, and public officials to help public policy makers across the country stay in touch with the attitudes and opinions of South Carolinians and to track those opinions over time. The first statewide took place in fall 2006. By spring 2007, Winthrop joined with SC ETV to help publicize the results.

Here are the latest results:

Aug. 21, 2008: Latest Results Are In for Winthrop/ETV Poll Survey of Likely Voters in 11 Southern States Show McCain Leading Obama 51 to 35 Percent; 80 Percent of Clinton Supporters Won't Sit Out Election; Almost 90 Percent Say Ho-Hum to Notion of VP from South; Obama Slightly Better at Feeling Their Pain; Economy #1 Issue on Voters' Minds; One-Third Say Neither Candidate Has Clear Cut Solutions; Almost 75 Percent of African Americans Minimize Impact of Race in Election

Press Release • Data: Results

Feb. 21, 2008: Latest Winthrop/ETV Poll Results Show SC Residents High on Their Financial Future; Give Thumbs-Up to Performance of National, State and Local Governments; Give Thumbs-Down to Tax Increases to Improve Infrastructure; Almost 30 Percent Say Humans Not to Blame for Global Warming

Press Release • Data: Results