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Voters in Michigan are overwhelmingly opposed to the state contributing funds to two battery plants in Michigan that are being built by American companies in partnership with companies affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
LANSING, Mich. – Voters in Michigan are overwhelmingly opposed to the state contributing funds to two battery plants in Michigan that are being built by American companies in partnership with companies affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). By a staggering 72% - 11% margin, Michigan voters do not want their tax dollars going to these projects.
As part of the Michigan Poll®, this MRG-commissioned question was surveyed October 2-8 from 600 Michigan registered voters and has a margin or error of plus/minus 4%. Voters were asked if the state of Michigan should be funding projects that have partnered with American companies affiliated or controlled by the CCP.
“Whether voters feel uncomfortable with companies affiliated with the CCP or they just believe there are better uses for their tax dollars, they clearly oppose the state contributing funds to these two battery plants,” said Jenell Leonard, Owner of MRG, LLC. “As all Michiganders are tightening their budgets and prioritizing personal spending, it seems they want the government to do the same and protect their tax dollars from connections with the CCP.”
Between site preparations and abatements, the state of Michigan has contributed nearly two billion dollars to the construction costs of two new battery plants to be built in Michigan – one in Big Rapids and one in Marshall. In March of this year, MRG released polling data showing voters opposed the Marshall battery plant by a 2:1 margin, (30% support and 61% opposed). By adding the information about the CCP, opposition has grown to better than 11:1.
“Giving hard-earned tax dollars to entities with CCP connections could be a contributing factor as to why voters have a growing concern and mistrust of government and politicians,” said Tom Shields, Senior Advisor to MRG, LLC. “Michigan voters didn’t support the amount of dollars going to the Marshall plant to begin with, despite their promise of jobs. Adding information about the company’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party just increases and hardens the opposition.”
The poll showed overwhelming opposition to the state funding facilities with connections to the CCP as every demographic, political groups and geographical region of the state opposed. Sixty-six percent of the voters in West Michigan and 90% of the voters in Northern Michigan opposed the project funding even though the two battery plants are located in their areas. Union members opposed the project funding by a 76% - 7% margin even though they could benefit from the jobs created. Also opposed were some of the Governor’s stronger supporters, including Females (72% oppose), African Americans (68% oppose), and those who support the job the Governor is doing (59% oppose).
The results and the wording of the questions asked by MRG follow.
Q. The state of Michigan is contributing nearly two billion dollars to the construction costs of two new battery plants
to be built in Michigan. Some officials have expressed concerns that the plants are being built by American
Companies in partnership with companies affiliated with or controlled by China's Communist Party.
Do you believe that the State of Michigan should be funding projects that have partnered
with companies affiliated or controlled by China's Communist Party?
Previously asked Michigan Poll® question regarding Marshall Plant from Spring 2023:
Q. As you may have heard, Ford Motor Company has decided to build an electric car battery plant in Marshall Michigan. The State of Michigan is paying $1.6 billion to subsidize the cost of constructing the plant, which will employ 2500 workers. This works out to a cost of $640,000 for each job that will pay between $40 - $45,000 per year. Some people say that the State needed to subsidize the plant to encourage Ford to build it in Michigan. Others have said that
the subsidy is too much, and there are better uses for our tax dollars. Do you support the state subsidizing the battery plant for $1.6 billion or do you think the cost is too high and there are better ways to spend our tax dollars?
MRG Michigan Poll® Fall 2023
The survey of 600 likely Michigan voters was conducted by live interview October 2-8, 2023 with a +1 GOP sample. The sample was randomly drawn from a listed sample of all registered voters with a history of voting and stratified by city and township to reflect voter turnout. Quotas for gender and cell phone interviews were met within each geographic area, and extra efforts were made to reach African Americans. Seventy-five percent of the interviews were conducted with cell phone only or cell phone dominant households. Some columns may not add up to 100% because of rounding. Individual rounding may impact final totals. This survey yields a sampling margin of error of ±4 percent with a 95 percent confidence interval. The sampling margin of error for subgroups may be higher depending on the size of the subgroup.
About Marketing Resource Group
Lansing, Michigan-based Marketing Resource Group is an award-winning PR firm representing corporate, association, nonprofit, and private clients with interests in Michigan. MRG offers expertise in public affairs, communications, political campaign management, and public opinion survey research. For more than thirty years, MRG has conducted its bi-annual omnibus Michigan Poll®, tracking the pulse of Michigan voters on key statewide public policy and political issues. MRG is the only Michigan public opinion survey research firm that maintains nearly 40 years of trend analyses of voter attitudes related to state and national leaders, political parties, and the political and economic climate in Michigan. Follow MRG on Twitter and on Facebook.
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