Republicans have been the most confident on energy policy as the US election approaches, but just barely

Energy has become a hot-button issue as voters prepare to head to the polls, with Republicans gaining a narrow lead. According to a recent Rasmussen poll, 82% of likely US voters see energy policy as an important factor in the upcoming election. With rising fuel costs and the future of domestic energy production hanging in the balance, this topic could prove even more critical.

The poll indicates that Republicans have an edge over Democrats when it comes to trust on energy issues.

The poll polled 1,044 likely US voters, conducted on September 26 and September 29-30. The poll asked “In terms of how you will vote in this year’s election, how important is the issue of energy policy?”

82% of respondents rated US energy policy as important, including 45% who rated it as very important.

When asked, “Which political party do you trust more to manage energy policy?” the result was not as clear, with 44% trusting the Republican party more, 43% more trusting the Democrats and 12% undecided.

While Democrats focused on renewable energy and climate action, Republicans focused on energy security and affordability, particularly through oil, gas, and fossil fuels. Voters are feeling the pinch of higher prices at the pump and rising home heating costs, which could explain confidence in the GOP’s approach to energy policy. The push for continued exploration, investment in fossil fuels and rolling back regulations seems to be resonating — but perhaps not the clear winner some seem to think.

The Rasmussen poll had a sampling error of +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% confidence level.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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