A Stockton University poll of New Jersey registered voters found the Garden State electorate has moved right on immigration since 2022, while New Jerseyans still strongly support abortion rights.
The poll, released Thursday afternoon, found that 57% of respondents would support a national effort to deport immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. 33% of Democrats, 89% of Republicans, and 56% of independents support such deportations, according to the poll.
The poll focused solely on political issues and did not test results for any candidates.
Public attitudes toward legal immigration have faced a sharp shift as well. In 2022, respondents were split 34%-34% on whether they believed immigration should be easier or more difficult. In this month’s poll, 51% of New Jerseyans said immigration should be more difficult, while just 20% said immigration laws should be changed to make it easier.
Republicans on the state and federal level are largely running on immigration, arguing the southern border with Mexico is not secure. Republicans have criticized the Biden administration for what they deem a crisis at the border, and many Democrats have acquiesced, joining calls to send further resources to the southern border.
The poll also surveyed New Jerseyans on an issue that Republicans generally aren’t running on: abortion.
A strong majority of 73% of New Jerseyan voters said they believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Twenty percent said the procedure should be illegal in all or most cases. And 58% of voters said they disapproved of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Meanwhile, sentiments on the economy were largely split along party lines. Most voters, 54%, said they feel optimistic about the direction of the economy, and nearly half said the price of everyday goods was their top financial struggle.
More than half of Democrats viewed their financial situation in a positive manner, compared to about a third of Republicans. Nearly 80% of Democrats said they feel optimistic about the direction of the economy, while about a quarter of Republican respondents shared that feeling.
Voters were most likely to say they want Congress to increase taxes on the wealthy (28%), reduce the national debt (14%), and implement a ban on grocery price gouging (14%).
“A September poll identified the economy, immigration and abortion rights as New Jersey voters’ top issues in this year’s election,” Hughes Center Research Director Alyssa Maurice said in a release. “The purpose of this poll was to dig a little deeper to understand where exactly voters stand on each of these issues.”
The poll was conducted by the Stockton Polling Institute of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy from Oct. 10-14, 2024. The institute polled 616 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 3.9 percentage points.