Mason Dixon Poll -- 79% of Georgians want a FAIR Flag Vote

 GEORGIA VOTER POLL

 STATE FLAG ISSUES

CONDUCTED FOR:

GEORGIA DIVISION

SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS

JANUARY 2005

This survey is a statistically valid statewide sampling of registered Georgia voters conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc.  Questions about the poll and/or poll methodology can be directed to Brad Coker, Managing Director of Mason-Dixon, at (904) 261-2444.

HOW THE POLL WAS CONDUCTED

This poll was commissioned by Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. of Washington, D.C. from January 27 through January 31, 2005. A total of 625 registered voters were interviewed statewide by telephone.  All stated that they vote regularly in state elections.

Those interviewed were selected from a randomly generated telephone sample drawn from a complete list of registered Georgia voters. Quotas were assigned to reflect voter turn-out by county.

The margin for error, according to standards customarily used by statisticians, is no more than plus or minus 4 percentage points.  This means that there is a 95 percent probability that the "true" figure would fall within that range if the entire population were sampled.  The margin for error is higher for any subgroup, such as a regional or racial grouping.

---------------------------------------SAMPLE FIGURES:

Men 309 (49%)          Women 316 (51%)

Whites 453 (72%)       Blacks 157 (25%)      Other  15 (2%)

REGION                                    

DeKalb/Fulton Counties          116 interviews             

Atlanta Suburbs                 121 interviews             

North Georgia                   135 interviews             

Central Georgia                 130 interviews             

South Georgia                   123 interviews             

                         REGIONAL GROUPINGS

DEKALB/FULTON: Voters in Fulton and DeKalb Counties.

ATLANTA SUBURBS:  Voters in Cobb, Gwinnett, Clayton, and Rockdale Counties.

NORTH GEORGIA:  Voters in Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Gordon, Chattooga, Floyd, Bartow, Dawson, Hall, Lumpkin, Union, Towns, Rabun, White, Habersham, Banks, Stephens, Franklin, Hart, Elbert, Madison, Jackson, Lincoln, Wilkes, Ogelthorpe, Clarke, Oconee, Carroll, Haralson, Douglas, Polk, Paulding, Cherokee and Forsyth Counties.

CENTRAL GEORGIA:  Voters in Richmond, Columbia, Burke, Jefferson, Glascock, McDuffie, Warren, Taliaferro, Greene, Morgan, Bibb, Twiggs, Houston, Bleckley, Telfair, Laurens, Washington, Baldwin, Hancock, Putnam, Jasper, Monroe, Jones, Upson, Crawford, Wilkinson, Johnson, Peach, Henry, Fayette, Spalding, Coweta, Heard, Troup, Meriwether, Pike, Walton, Barrow, Newton, Butts and Lamar Counties.

SOUTH GEORGIA:  Voters in Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, Bulloch, Evans, Candler, Tattnall, Toombs, Jenkins, Emanuel, Montgomery, Treutlin, Wheeler, Telfair, Jeff Davis, Appling, Bacon, Ware, Charlton, Camden, Pierce, Brantley, Glynn, Wayne, Long, Liberty, McInstosh, Screven, Coffee, Atkinson, Clinch, Echols, Muscogee, Chattahoochee, Stewart, Webster, Sumter, Dooly, Pulaski, Dodge, Macon, Schley, Marion, Taylor, Talbot, Harris, Dougherty, Lee, Crisp, Wilcox, Ben Hill, Turner, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Berrien, Cook, Tift, Worth, Colquitt, Thomas, Grady, Decatur, Seminole, Miller, Baker, Mitchell, Early, Clay, Calhoun, Terrell, Randolph, Quitman, and Brooks Counties.

QUESTION: The Georgia legislature is presently considering holding a referendum to permit the voters to choose between the current State Flag and the 1956-2001 State Flag, which contained the Confederate battle emblem.  Do you believe that the people of Georgia should be allowed to say which State Flag represents them, or not? 

                          YES        NO      NOT SURE

STATE                     79%        15%         6%  

REGION                    YES        NO      NOT SURE

DeKalb/Fulton Counties    73%        17%        10%   

Atlanta Suburbs           76%        14%         9%  

North Georgia             81%        15%         5%  

Central Georgia           83%        15%         2%  

South Georgia             83%        13%         4%   

SEX                       YES        NO      NOT SURE

Men                       79%        16%         5%  

Women                     79%        14%         7%  

RACE                      YES        NO      NOT SURE

White                     80%        15%         5%  

Black                     75%        16%         9%  

QUESTION: If another referendum were held, which Flag would you choose: (ORDER ROTATED)

- The present State Flag, or

- The 1956-2001 Flag with the Confederate battle emblem?

                     PRESENT FLAG   1956-2001 FLAG  UNDECIDED

STATE                     47%             40%           13%  

REGION                PRESENT FLAG   1956-2001 FLAG  UNDECIDED

DeKalb/Fulton Counties    70%             18%           12%   

Atlanta Suburbs           56%             30%           14%  

North Georgia             38%             43%           19%  

Central Georgia           38%             49%           13%  

South Georgia             36%             56%            8%   

SEX                   PRESENT FLAG   1956-2001 FLAG  UNDECIDED

Men                       43%             44%           13%  

Women                     51%             36%           13%  

RACE                  PRESENT FLAG   1956-2001 FLAG  UNDECIDED

White                     41%             49%           10%  

Black                     63%             14%           23%  

FLAG VIEW             PRESENT FLAG   1956-2001 FLAG  UNDECIDED

Pride & Heritage          26%             64%           10%  

Racism & Segregation      87%              4%            9%  

Both/Not Sure             55%              7%           38%

QUESTION: If another referendum were held, would you be satisfied with the Flag that received a majority of the votes regardless of the outcome, or not?  

                                                                                                                   
                          YES        NO      NOT SURE

STATE                     70%        23%         7%  

REGION                    YES        NO      NOT SURE

DeKalb/Fulton Counties    53%        40%         7%   

Atlanta Suburbs           68%        27%         5%  

North Georgia             70%        23%         7%  

Central Georgia           75%        16%         9%  

South Georgia             81%        12%         7%   

SEX                       YES        NO      NOT SURE

Men                       75%        19%         6%  

Women                     65%        27%         8%  

RACE                      YES        NO      NOT SURE

White                     75%        20%         5%  

Black                     55%        33%        12%  

FLAG VOTE                 YES        NO      NOT SURE

Present Flag              50%        41%         9%  

1956-2001 Flag            92%         5%         3%  

Undecided                 74%        13%        13%

QUESTION: Do you view the Confederate flag primarily as: (ORDER ROTATED)

     - A symbol of southern heritage and pride, or

     - A symbol of segregation and racism?

                         PRIDE    RACISM    BOTH    NOT SURE

STATE                      60%       29%       4%       7%  

REGION                   PRIDE    RACISM    BOTH    NOT SURE

DeKalb/Fulton Counties     38%       49%       6%       7%   

Atlanta Suburbs            53%       33%       4%      10%  

North Georgia              68%       25%       2%       5%  

Central Georgia            69%       22%       3%       6%  

South Georgia              71%       20%       3%       6%   

SEX                      PRIDE    RACISM    BOTH    NOT SURE

Men                        63%       26%       3%       8%  

Women                      57%       32%       5%       6%  

RACE                     PRIDE    RACISM    BOTH    NOT SURE

White                      74%       15%       3%       8%  

Black                      18%       71%       7%       4%  

QUESTION: Do you believe the referendum held in March 2004, which did not include the 1956-2001 State Flag, was fair to the voters of Georgia, or not?

                          YES        NO      NOT SURE

STATE                     33%        54%        13%  

REGION                    YES        NO      NOT SURE

DeKalb/Fulton Counties    46%        40%        14%   

Atlanta Suburbs           34%        51%        15%  

North Georgia             28%        57%        15%  

Central Georgia           28%        63%         9%  

South Georgia             31%        59%        10%   

SEX                       YES        NO      NOT SURE

Men                       31%        58%        11%  

Women                     35%        50%        15%  

RACE                      YES        NO      NOT SURE

White                     28%        60%        12%  

Black                     47%        37%        16%