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Tech Employees Are Going To Vote.

The 2020 Presidential election is on the horizon and Silicon Valley is showing up to the polls. Blind, an anonymous community of verified professionals with 3.6+ million users, asked it’s userbase about the upcoming election. Here are some high level learnings:

  • Are you eligible to vote in the 2020 US Presidential Elections?
      1. 62% Of survey respondents answered yes
  • But 38% of survey respondents answered “no”
        1. Meaning that much of the tech talent in the US does not have their voice represented in the country where they have established their careers
            • Only 50% of Amazon employees are eligible to vote
            • Only 47% of Google employees are eligible to vote
  • If eligible to vote in the 2020 US Presidential Elections, do you plan on voting?
      1. 97% of eligible voters responded yes
        1. 100% of Capital One employees plan on voting
        2. 100% of Facebook employees plan on voting
        3. 98% of Microsoft employees plan on voting
  • What is the most important issue influencing who you vote for?
          • For eligible voters
                1. 32% find “The national economy” to be the most important issue 
                2. 25% find  “The handling of the coronavirus pandemic” to be the most important issue 
                3. 14% find “Healthcare” to be the most important issue 
                4. 4% find  “International Security and Terrorism”
                5. 25% find “Civil Rights and Equality (Racial, LGBTQ+ etc)”
          • For non-eligible survey participants 
              1. 33% find “The national economy” to be the most important issue 
              2. 30% find  “The handling of the coronavirus pandemic” to be the most important issue 
              3. 16% find “Healthcare” to be the most important issue 
              4. 4% find  “International Security and Terrorism”
              5. 17% find “Civil Rights and Equality (Racial, LGBTQ+ etc)”

What is particularly interesting is the variation across companies as to what is top of mind during these elections. In terms of the coronavirus, Trump’s hopes for a swift return to normal have been squashed. There has been a ferocious surge across the country. 

In terms of civil rights and the Black Lives Matter movement, Trump is not aligned with the general public opinion. He stresses “law and order” rather than empathy in the wake of the George Floyd protests. With 25% of eligible voters casting their vote for “Civil Rights and Equality (Racial, LGBTQ+ etc) issues, this can have serious implications for Trump.

Although Trump continues to be criticized for not acting against Russia over the bounties to kill coalition troops in Afghanistan, only 4% of voters seem to have “International Security and Terrorism” at front of mind this election cycle. 

With nearly ⅓ of eligible voters finding “The national economy” to be the most important issue this election cycle,  recent outbreaks of COVID-19 have diminished hope of a sharp V-shaped recovery.

The next months are going to be absolutely crucial in determining who the US will elect as president.

Access the raw data: here.

Access the deck: here.