ELON-As N.C. voters prepare to head to the polls on March 3 to cast their ballots in this year’s presidential primary, two out of three believe political divisions have made their lives uncomfortable and that politics is likely to become even more divisive in the years to come.

Social media is the most common place they find political conflicts — more than at work, with friends and family, or in various groups they belong to. Many are concerned about the influence of foreign governments in the election, and how false information may mislead voters as they decide how to cast their ballots.

The state’s voters are lukewarm about the current state of health care, with most saying that drug costs are “unreasonable.” Slightly more than half support government paying more for health care, and a gradual path forward for changes to the health care system is the most popular option among N.C. voters. Nearly half of N.C. voters believe the economy and their own financial situations have improved during the tenure of President Donald Trump, but they are more divided on which direction the economy is heading in the near future.

The Elon University Poll, in partnership with The News & Observer, Charlotte Observer and The Durham Herald-Sun, conducted a survey of more than 1,400 N.C. voters based upon topics voters identified as the most important this election year.

These are just some of the overarching themes found within the Elon University Poll’s latest survey of registered voters in North Carolina that focused on topics voters say they are most interested in this presidential election year. The Elon Poll surveyed N.C. voters in fall 2019, asking them for the topics they’d most like to hear candidates talk about as they campaign during 2020. Health care, the economy and the political system were among those topics that rose to the top.

“Across multiple indicators, a majority of North Carolina voters have a positive view of the economy,” said Jason Husser, director of the Elon University Poll and associate professor of political science. “This bodes well for President Trump’s reelection prospects in the state but only under two conditions. First, that these economic considerations are more important to voters than less-favorably viewed issues like healthcare. Second, that events like a global pandemic won’t cause major economic disruption between now and November.”

The poll found clear differences of opinion on many issues based on party affiliation and political ideology. Generally speaking, Republicans and those who identified as conservative are more likely to be bullish on the economy, both in recent years and in the years to come. They’re more satisfied with their health care and health insurance but are against further government involvement in health care and believe the Affordable Care Act has been bad for North Carolina.

By contrast, Democrats and those who identify as liberal are less likely to say the economy has been on an upswing since 2017 and are most likely to say the economy will stay the same going forward. They are less likely to be “very satisfied” with their health insurance, and one in five give the U.S. health care system a failing grade. They believe the Affordable Care Act has improved health care in North Carolina, and three in four support government becoming more involved in paying for health care.

The survey of 1,403 North Carolina voters was conducted Feb. 10-21 both by telephone and by using an online opt-in sample marketplace. The poll had 524 respondents participate by phone and 879 respondents participate online. The survey has a credibility interval of +/- 2.9 percent. The credibility interval is an accuracy measure for opt-in online surveys. A fuller explanation of the credibility interval and the survey methodology are available in the full report

Finally, the Elon Poll examined issues related to the current state of our political system, looking at perceptions about political divisions and conflicts today, confidence in the election process, and high-profile issues such as redistricting and “Voter ID.”

Two-thirds of voters — 66 percent — report that division between political parties has made their life uncomfortable at times. Democrats and those who identify as liberal were more likely to report that those divisions are making their lives uncomfortable, as were women. Asked to look ahead, two-thirds of N.C. voters said that they expect politics to become more divisive during the next year.

Voters were also asked about settings where they experience political conflict. Social media was the only setting where more than half of voters said they had experienced such conflict, with 59 percent saying they’ve seen conflict on these social platforms. Voters were least likely to say they experienced political conflict at work or school, or in a civic, social or religious organization.