Massachusetts Voters Differ in Two Polls Regarding State’s Direction

Polls are nothing more than a snapshot of the moment, an ever-changing gauge of how folks are feeling at any given second. People are fickle and opinions vary, depending on the moment, the mood and who is asking the questions.

Let's examine two recent polls that asked respondents about their views on the state of the state.

I wrote in November that a University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB poll "indicates a growing displeasure with the way things are going" in Massachusetts, which is not necessarily good news for Governor Maura Healey, who is facing four opponents with less than a year until the next election.

The poll found that for the first time since 2020, a "plurality of residents say Massachusetts is on the wrong track." Ouch!

The October poll found 40 percent of respondents believe Massachusetts is on the right track, while 43 percent disagreed, and 18 percent were unsure. Ouch!

But wait: another day, another poll.

A November Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll found voters to be in a better frame of mind about the goings on in the Bay State.

While 68.40 percent of respondents told pollsters the country is on the wrong track, only 36.60 percent said the same about Massachusetts, with a majority of 50.60 percent believing Massachusetts is going in the right direction. An additional 12.80 percent were unsure.

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How is it that 43 percent of voters can tell a University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB Poll that the state is on the right track in October, and 50.60 percent tell the Suffolk University/Boston Globe Poll that things are just ducky a month later?

Again, people are fickle and opinions vary, depending on the moment, the mood and who is asking the questions.