A June 4 Gallup poll finds more Americans say life is getting back to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic. In Oct. 2020, 37% of Americans said their lives are completely (3%) or somewhat (34%) back to normal. By May 2021, that combined back to normal number was 29 points, with 9% saying their lives are completely back and 57% saying their lives are somewhat back. By June, only 34% say their lives are not yet back to normal. Last Oct., that number was 62%.
Does party affiliation affect those numbers? Yes. More Republicans and Independents say their lives are back to normal than do Democrats. Today, 17% of Republicans, 10% of Independents, and only 2% of Democrats say their lives are completely back to normal. Sixty percent of Republicans, 58% of Independents, and 55% of Democrats say their lives are somewhat back. Only 24% of Republicans and 32% of Independents say their lives are not yet back to normal compared to 43% of Democrats.
These numbers have moved as the numbers of positive COVID-19 cases and deaths decline, the number of the vaccinated grow, and mask mandates are lifted around the country. This public sentiment will shift voters’ priorities over the course of the next few months, so it will be important to watch where voters next turn their attention.
