Rutgers-Eagleton Poll

10/16/2026

LATEST RESULTS FROM THE RUTGERS-EAGLETON POLL

More Than Half of New Jerseyans Say Data Center Costs Outweigh the Benefits

A plurality of residents are negative on AI's impact on jobs and the environment, while opinion on daily life and education is more mixed.

- 55% say the costs of a data center outweigh the benefits, while 11% say the benefits outweigh the costs and 19% say they are about equal
- Opposition is strongest close to home: 72% oppose a data center in their own town or city, 64% in a neighboring county, and 62% in the state
- Residents are most negative about AI's impact on the environment (48% negative, 12% positive) and jobs (43% negative, 14% positive)
- Views of AI's impact on their own day-to-day life are more mixed: 30% positive, 21% negative, and 42% both
- More than a third use AI on purpose at least once a day, and 55% encounter built-in AI daily
- 63% of Democrats and 57% of independents say data center costs outweigh the benefits, compared with 37% of Republicans

"What stands out about data centers is that no group reaches majority support anywhere - not in their own town, not in a neighboring county, not in the state at large," said director Ashley Koning.

Statewide poll of 1,004 NJ adults through the Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel, Sept. 24-27, 2026. Margin of error +/- 4.1 points.

Full release:https://eagletonpoll.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Rutgers-Eagleton-Poll-Data-Centers-and-AI-10.16.26-FINAL-PUBLIC-PDF.pdf
All releases: https://eagletonpoll.rutgers.edu/press_releases/

10/13/2026

LATEST RESULTS FROM THE RUTGERS-EAGLETON POLL

More Than 8 in 10 New Jerseyans Support the State's School Cellphone Ban

With the new school year underway, 59% of New Jerseyans strongly support the state's ban on non-academic cellphone use in grades K-12 for the entire school day, and 24% somewhat support it. Just 9% are somewhat opposed and 4% strongly opposed. Supporters outnumber opponents by more than 6-to-1.

"There is very little in New Jersey politics that more than 8 in 10 residents agree on, and even less that Democrats and Republicans agree on this closely," said director Ashley Koning.

- 87% of Republicans, 85% of Democrats, and 79% of independents support the ban
- At least 7 in 10 back it in every demographic group measured
- The widest divide is by age: 94% of residents 65 and older support it, compared with 72% of those 18 to 34
- Parents (80%) and non-parents (84%) look nearly identical

Statewide poll of 1,004 NJ adults through the Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel, Sept. 24-27, 2026. Margin of error +/- 4.1 points.

Full release:https://eagletonpoll.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Rutgers-Eagleton-Poll-School-Cell-Ban-10.12.26-FINAL-PUBLIC-PDF.pdf
All releases: https://eagletonpoll.rutgers.edu/press_releases/

10/13/2026

LATEST RESULTS FROM THE RUTGERS-EAGLETON POLL

New Jerseyans Largely Support Voter ID and Proof of Citizenship, Though Majority Confident Votes Will Be Counted Accurately

Majorities of New Jersey residents support requiring photo identification to vote in person and documentary proof of citizenship to register, and are confident that votes will be counted accurately this November. Opinion on each issue breaks sharply along partisan lines.

- About 8 in 10 support requiring a valid NJ driver's license, state ID, or U.S. passport to vote in person (63% strongly, 19% somewhat)
- About 7 in 10 support requiring a document proving U.S. citizenship to register (51% strongly, 20% somewhat)
- Slightly less than three-quarters are confident in-person votes will be counted accurately (40% very, 34% somewhat); confidence drops by double digits for mail ballots (29% very, 30% somewhat)
- 95% of Republicans strongly support a photo ID requirement, compared with 64% of independents and 42% of Democrats
- 59% of Democrats are very confident only eligible voters will cast ballots, compared with 28% of independents and 12% of Republicans
- Among residents not confident that only eligible voters will cast ballots, 79% strongly support proof of citizenship, compared with 39% of those who are confident

"Majorities would both support these hypothetical voting requirements and are confident about how November's election will be run, but the intensity behind those two views is not the same," said director Ashley Koning.

The Poll was fielded Sept. 24-27, after this summer's disclosure of noncitizen registrations through the Motor Vehicle Commission and before Gov. Mikie Sherrill's Oct. 7 announcement of additional records requiring review. Statewide poll of 1,004 NJ adults through the Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel. Margin of error +/- 4.1 points.

Full release:https://eagletonpoll.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Rutgers-Eagleton-Poll-Election-Confidence-and-Voter-Requirements-10.13.26-FINAL-PUBLIC-PDF.pdf
All releases: https://eagletonpoll.rutgers.edu/press_releases/

06/10/2026

A poll finds that while New Jerseyans continue to view their communities as healthy, rising housing costs pose a challenge for residents and raise uncertainty around its broader impacts.

06/10/2026

New Jersey voters agree that mental health and health care affordability remain top priorities. In our latest NJ Health Matters Poll, conducted with Rutgers-Eagleton Poll, 86% of registered voters said elected officials should prioritize mental health, 80% supported expanding mental health services in K-12 schools, and 93% said health care affordability should be a priority.

These findings reinforce what we heard throughout our Children’s Mental Health Mapping Project: families need a system that is easier to navigate and offers timely access to care.

🔗Learn more about the poll: https://njhcqi.info/njhealthmatterspoll26
📖Read the Children’s Mental Health Mapping Report: https://njhcqi.info/cmhmreport

05/06/2026

NJBIA highlights new Rutgers Eagleton findings featuring analysis from Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling. The poll shows that a majority of New Jersey residents say it is difficult to find quality, affordable childcare, and more than half view the lack of affordable options as a major barrier for parents who want to work.

As Ashley Koning explains, New Jerseyans across income levels, regions, and political identities recognize that childcare is essential to the state’s health and prosperity. She notes that there is wide agreement that availability and affordability are challenges and that state government has a role to play. Read more:

A new Rutgers–Eagleton Poll conducted for Start Strong NJ finds a sizable majority of New Jerseyans believes it is difficult to find quality, affordable

05/05/2026

A Bloomberg segment reposted by MBlip features commentary from Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling, on the significance of the long-running “right track wrong track” polling question. During the panel, she explains that the measure is “a timeless polling question that we have seen over decades,” and that current numbers are “completely flipped on its head,” reflecting widespread public dissatisfaction.

Koning also notes that right track wrong track views are strongly tied to presidential approval and economic perceptions, two of the most powerful drivers of how Americans evaluate the country’s direction. Her analysis provides essential context alongside Bloomberg’s reporting on United States-Iran developments and the Spirit Airlines travel disruption.

Read more:

Bloomberg This Weekend | Trump Reviewing Iran’s Proposal, Spirit Leaves Passengers Scrambling mBlip / 2 days ago May 3, 2026From Bloomberg Markets and Finance. Watch this video on YouTube.The news doesn’t stop when markets close. Hosts David Gura, Christina Ruffini and Lisa Mateo bring clarity, ...

05/05/2026

The New York Times spotlights analysis from Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling, in its coverage of a rare bipartisan trend: growing concern about artificial intelligence. The article reports that majorities of both Democrats and Republicans say they are more worried than excited about A I and its impact on jobs, privacy, education, and mental health.

The piece also highlights generational divides. As Ashley Koning explains, younger adults tend to view AI more positively, “but even their enthusiasm appears to be dampening” amid rising skepticism toward tech billionaires and concerns about long-term consequences. Her commentary provides key context for understanding how public sentiment toward AI is evolving.

Read more:

The growing unease over artificial intelligence is something elements of the left and the right can agree on in a polarized age.

05/01/2026

NJ.com takes a closer look at the first two polls rating Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s early performance, including new results from the Rutgers Eagleton Poll.
The Rutgers Eagleton Poll finds that 45 percent of New Jersey adults approve of the governor’s job performance, while 29 percent disapprove and 26 percent are unsure. The article explains how this compares with the Fairleigh Dickinson University poll, which shows higher approval but uses a different sample and timing.

The piece also explores why the numbers differ and how many residents are still getting to know the new administration.

Read the full NJ.com story: https://www.nj.com/politics/2026/04/breaking-down-sherrills-first-two-and-very-different-polls-mikies-world.html

A chat with the pollsters behind the first two public approval surveys on Gov. Mikie Sherrill.

04/29/2026

How does polling actually work? In this video, Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University, uses her homemade tomato sauce to explain what a sample is and why it matters. Just like one spoonful can tell you about the whole pot, a carefully selected sample can help researchers understand the views of an entire population. Ashley also talks about how this process shapes the work of the Rutgers Eagleton Poll.

Take a look at how she connects cooking and public opinion research.