Poll: Infrastructure Unites Voters in Divisive Election Year

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 9, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With 90 days left before Election Day, a national poll released Tuesday by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) found that half of registered voters say the nation's infrastructure has gotten worse over the last five years, and a majority of voters said roads and bridges are in "extreme" need of repair.

The findings were part of a new national poll commissioned by AEM to gauge voter perceptions and attitudes about the current and future state of U.S. infrastructure amid a high-profile election. The poll found that registered voters, regardless of political affiliation, recognize the declining state of the nation's infrastructure as an issue that should be addressed and believe that the federal government should do more to improve infrastructure across the board.

"Americans across the political spectrum understand the dire state of U.S. infrastructure and believe that the federal government should do more to improve our infrastructure," said Dennis Slater, president of AEM. "Voters recognized that increased federal funding for assets such as roads, bridges, and inland waterways will have a positive impact on the economy, and they are looking to the federal government to repair and modernize."

The national poll identified a number of key findings, including:

• Nearly half (46 percent) of registered voters believe that the state of the nation's infrastructure has gotten worse in the last five years.
• A significant majority (80 – 90 percent) of registered voters say that roads, bridges and energy grids are in some or extreme need of repairs.
• Half (49 percent) of the surveyed population feel that the federal government is primarily responsible for funding repairs to the nation's infrastructure.
• Seven out of every 10 registered voters say increasing federal funding for infrastructure will have a positive impact on the economy.
• More than eight out of every ten Americans consider water infrastructure (86 percent), solar powered homes (83 percent) and smart infrastructure (82 percent) as the top three important innovations for the future of infrastructure.
• Voters across the political spectrum think that the federal government should do more to improve the nation's overall infrastructure, with 68 percent of Republicans, 70 percent of Independents and 76 percent of Democrats sharing this sentiment.

Registered voters also feel that government across the board should be doing more to improve the nation's overall infrastructure, with 76 percent of individuals surveyed wanting more from state governments, 72 percent looking to the federal government to do more and 70 percent expecting more from local governments.

"Both presidential nominees have voiced their strong support for infrastructure investment," said Ron De Feo, CEO of Kennametal and chairman of AEM's Infrastructure Vision 2050 initiative. "The specific ideas and proposals they offer over the next 90 days will be critically important, and voters should consider them carefully on Election Day."

The national poll was conducted as part of AEM's ongoing efforts to develop a long-term national vision for U.S. infrastructure. An analysis of the national poll results is available here.

About the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) - www.aem.org 
AEM is the North American-based international trade group providing innovative business development resources to advance the off-road equipment manufacturing industry in the global marketplace. AEM membership comprises more than 850 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture, construction, forestry, mining and utility sectors worldwide. AEM is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with offices in the world capitals of Washington, D.C.; Ottawa, Canada; and Beijing, China.

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SOURCE Association of Equipment Manufacturers

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