Fox News Poll: With 2020 in sight, 90 percent say voting is an act of patriotism

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Vote - it’s your patriotic duty! That’s what almost all registered voters say, according to the latest Fox News Poll.

When voters are asked whether certain actions are patriotic or not, voting in elections moves into first place with fully 90 percent saying it is. Five years ago, flying an American flag edged out voting by one percentage point (June 2014).

Flying the Star-Spangled Banner now comes in second (85 percent), joining the military (84 percent) is third, and volunteering time to community service (80 percent) places fourth.

There are lower levels of agreement -- although still majorities -- on other actions, including serving on a jury (77 percent), paying taxes (74 percent), staying informed on the news (67 percent), and participating in a political protest (60 percent).

The order of the top four items differs slightly depending on party affiliation.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE POLL RESULTS

Democrats view voting (89 percent) as the pinnacle of patriotism, followed by volunteering (80 percent), flying the flag and joining the military (both 79 percent).

Republicans are more likely to say flying the flag (92 percent) and joining the military (92) are the most loyal things you can do for your country. Casting a ballot is close behind at 90 percent, while volunteering comes in at 82 percent.

Each item, however, with the exception of volunteering, has seen a drop in support since 2014, when the question was last asked.

The biggest drop (-12 points) comes from those who believe staying informed on the news is a part of their patriotic duties: 79 percent in 2014 compared to 67 percent now.

The shift comes mainly from independents (-19), Republicans (-16), women (-15), and whites without a college degree (-15).

The next biggest decrease is flying the flag, down 9 points, followed by enlisting in the military (-6), serving on a jury (-6), paying taxes (-4), and voting (-3). Those viewing political protesting (-1) as patriotic remains relatively unchanged.

Conducted June 9-12, 2019 under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with 1,001 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide who spoke with live interviewers on both landlines and cellphones. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters.