56 Percent of Voters Believe Worst of Pandemic Is Behind Us

June 3, 2021: Fifty-six percent (56%) of voters now believe that the worst of the pandemic is behind us. That’s up four points from a week ago and the highest level of optimism yet recorded. A Ballotpedia national survey found that 20% of voters currently disagree and believe the worst is yet to come. Twenty-five percent (25%) are not sure.[1]

Taking a longer look at the timeline highlights just how dramatically the numbers have shifted since vaccines became available. The number who believe the worst is behind us is up six points from a month ago, fourteen points from two months ago, and twenty-three points from three months ago.[1]

Throughout the pandemic, there has been a vast partisan perception gap. That remains the case today. Sixty-four percent (64%) of Republicans now believe the worst is behind us. That view is shared by 52% of Democrats and 44% of independent voters. This marks the first time that a majority of Democrats have believed the worst is behind us.[1]

On a related topic, a recent Number of the Day showed that fewer than half of all voters are aware of the new CDC guidelines on mask-wearing. There is a partisan divide on this as well. A majority of Republican voters (56%) are aware of the new CDC guidelines, while a majority of Democrats (57%) are not. Independent voters are evenly divided.[1]Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author. Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 9 a.m. Eastern. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author. Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is the author of "Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System," "In Search of Self-Governance," and "The People's Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt." Read Scott Rasmussen's Reports — More Here.

Footnotes:

1. ScottRasmussen.com, "56% Believe Worst of Pandemic Behind Us; 20% Disagree," June 2, 2021