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New Poll: Only 11 Percent of Black Voters Refuse Vaccination, Majority are Still Open to Vaccination (BLACKtrack)

29% of Black Voters Remain Unvaccinated; Mandates and Incentives Could Increase Black Voter Vaccination Rate to 89%

Biden’s Work Mandates Are Widely Popular with Black Voters

Washington, D.C. | September 28th – While 29 percent of Black voters say they are unvaccinated, only 11 percent of Black voters outright refuse the vaccine regardless of any incentive or mandate. The other 18 percent of unvaccinated Black voters are waiting, considering, or would vaccinate if mandated, according to BlackTrack, HIT Strategies’ monthly survey of Black voters. The results of the latest BlackTrack survey challenge “hesitancy” as the defining characterization of unvaccinated Black Americans.

The September BlackTrack survey suggests that a coordinated vaccination strategy involving mandates and informational campaigns could close the racial vaccination gap and get nearly 90 percent of Black voters vaccinated. “According to BlackTrack, only 11 percent of Black voters say they would outright refuse the vaccine, no matter the incentive or mandate,” said HIT Strategies’ founding partner Terrance Woodbury. “Many have taken one dose, would if mandated, or need a little of a push. A coordinated strategy that mixes mandates and other measures could close the vaccination gap and help defeat the pandemic.”

Vaccination Status of Black Voters  Total %
VACCINATED: Received at least one dose 71%
AMBIVALENT: Get the vaccine as soon as you can6%
HESITANT: Wait until it has been available for a while8%
MANDATE ONLY: If required to do so for work, school, or other activities4%
REFUSALS NOT get the vaccine11%

Mandates Are Effective and Have Support of Black Voters
Mandates, including those proposed by President Joe Biden, would encourage nearly half of the unvaccinated Black voters to get vaccinated. In addition, supermajorities of vaccinated Black voters support several mandates, with 91 percent of vaccinated Black voters supporting a work mandate, like the one implemented by President Joe Biden. As policymakers and the White House examine an airline travel mandate, 36 percent of unvaccinated Black Voters said they would get vaccinated if required for air travel. Ninety-two percent (92%) of Black voters who are already vaccinated support the measure.

MandatesTotal likely to get vaccinated among those unvaccinated (Black Voters)[1]Total support of the mandate among those vaccinated (Black voters)[2]
Schools (K-12 and universities)35%90%
Public transit travel (buses, trains, taxis)35%88%
Airline travel36%92%
Places of work49%91%
Sporting events or concerts29%90%
Retail stores (grocery, department, big box)49%87%
Rideshare vehicles (e.g., Uber or Lyft)34%87%

“Mandates are both popular among Black voters and would be successful in vaccinating nearly half of unvaccinated Black voters.” said Woodbury. “Despite having the highest rates of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths, Black people remain the lowest vaccinated population in America, and President Biden’s mandates are the right move and supported by his most loyal and vital base.”

Unvaccinated & Refuse Vaccination
According to BlackTrack analysis, Black voters who are unvaccinated and outright refuse vaccination are more likely to be younger (GenZ and Millennial) and conservative or more likely to be women and earn less than $30,000 a year. In addition, the top concern among all unvaccinated Black voters is safety.

  • 23 percent of Black Republican voters refuse vaccination
  • 23 percent of unemployed Black voters refuse vaccination 
  • 20 percent of Black women voters under 50 refuse vaccination
  • 17 percent of Black voters ages 18-29 refuse vaccination
  • 16 percent of Black women non-college-educated voters refuse vaccination

More COVID-19 and Vaccination Analysis Contained in The September BlackTrack

  • Black voters blame the unvaccinated for the continuation of the pandemic, and data suggests that Black vaccinated voters would support several mandates to ensure vaccination.
  • BlackTrack shows that 69 percent of vaccinated Black voters say they would take the booster shots.

BlackTrack
BlackTrack is a monthly survey by HIT Strategies to track the evolving opinions of Black voters. The September BlackTrack was conducted via an online, double opt-in panel between August 15-22, 2021, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1% at a 95% confidence level. The recurring monthly national survey of 1,000 Black voters (ages 18+) monitors current Black voters’ attitudes on social and political issues. In addition, it disaggregates the data into demographic groups to understand the full diversity of Black voters’ attitudes. A proportion of BlackTrack data is proprietary and available for subscribers.

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[1] How likely are you to get vaccinated if the following places require a vaccine mandate?

[2] How much do you support oppose a vaccine mandate for the following places?

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