Vaughn Palmer: Opinion poll finds huge swathes of voters are tied to one party regardless of specific policies

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VICTORIA — British Columbians noticed all the mudslinging in the election campaign, but most said it had little effect on how they voted.

They were swayed more by party affiliation than by the leaders of those parties.

And though they disagreed on voting choices, there was consensus about the main priorities for the next government.

Those insights emerged from a public opinion survey, taken right after the election by Navigator Ltd., a Toronto-based communications firm with offices in Vancouver.

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Three quarters of those surveyed said they were aware of the attacks the parties launched on each other during the campaign. But about three quarters of those who had noticed the attacks said they had little or no bearing on how they voted.

Still, in a race as close as this one, the attacks had an effect a potentially significant number of voters. Nine per cent of those who witnessed the mudslinging said “absolutely, that’s primarily why I voted the way I did.”

The campaign negatives appear to have hurt John Rustad the most.

He started with greater negatives than Premier David Eby. In a “word association” survey done last spring, respondents called Eby “smart, hardworking, caring and........

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