Nearly Two-Thirds of Georgia Voters Support Investments in Zero-Emission School Buses

Today, the American Lung Association released new poll results showing that a majority (63%) of Georgia voters support investment in zero-emission buses for students nationwide. The statewide support for zero-emission buses in Georgia aligns with polling results nationally, where an overwhelming majority of voters (68%) support the transition to zero-emission buses.

The poll findings are released as Congress considers a major infrastructure package including a proposal to invest $20 billion to transition one-fifth of the country’s school buses from diesel-powered vehicles to electric, zero-emission buses.

“Every day that children ride diesel buses to and from school, they are exposed to the dangerous toxics in diesel exhaust,” said June Deen, Senior Director of Advocacy of the American Lung Association in Georgia. “More than 253,000 children in Georgia suffer from asthma, and our current methods of transportation are making them sicker. Black and Hispanic communities in particular are exposed to disproportionately high levels of particle pollution. We have an opportunity to change this by pursuing a healthier form of transportation — and a majority of Georgia voters support it.” 

Administered by Global Strategy Group, the poll findings showed that a majority of Georgia voters thought that transitioning to zero-emission school buses would spur American innovation, benefit the health of school children, and help effectively combat climate change.

Key findings from the poll include:  

• 63% of Georgia voters support the proposal to invest $20 billion in the transition from diesel-powered vehicles to zero-emission school buses.
• 75% of voters in Georgia say it’s especially important to invest in zero-emissions vehicles like electric school buses to reduce air pollution around children.
• 70% of Georgia voters would prefer zero-emission school buses in their own communities instead of diesel.
• 65% of Georgia voters believe that transitioning school buses from diesel vehicles to zero-emission buses would have a positive impact on the air quality in their communities.
• 61% of Georgia voters believe that transitioning the national school bus fleet to be zero-emission would have a positive impact on the health of America’s school children.
• 83% of Georgia voters agree that reducing air pollution around children is common sense — not a Republican or Democratic issue.

“Support for the transition to zero-emission buses is overwhelming and broad and remains robust even after voters heard simulated arguments from both sides,” said Andrew Baumann, Senior Vice President at Global Strategy Group.

The analysis memo from Global Strategy Group can be found online here. 

Methodology: 
Global Strategy Group conducted 421 interviews of Georgia voters (confidence interval of +/-4.8%), and conducted an online survey of 1,005 registered voters nationwide between July 1 - 8, 2021. The survey had a confidence interval of +/-3.1%. Care has been taken to ensure the geographic, demographic, and political divisions among registered voters are properly represented.