Poll Calls For Fair Vote

PRESS RELEASE
The Georgia Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans

The attached Statewide Mason-Dixon Poll completed on January 31st shows that the vast majority of Georgia voters continue to want an opportunity to vote for the flag that they wish to represent Georgia.

State Representative Tim Bearden from Carrollton introduced House Bill 15 which calls for a State-wide referendum to allow Georgia’s citizens to choose between the current State flag and the 1956 – 2001 flag. The current flag was approved by the legislature in 2003 by the legislature and selected over the 2001 flag that was imposed by previous Governor Roy Barnes and subsequently branded the ugliest flag in North America by flag specialists. The ’56-’01 flag which contains the Confederate Battle Emblem was not allowed as a choice.

Many legislators have claimed that the flag issue is settled. Therefore, the Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans commissioned Mason-Dixon Polling and Research, Inc. of Washington, D.C. to determine if that is true. By a 79% to 15% with 6% undecided, the poll decidedly shows that voters want the opportunity to vote in a referendum which has the ’56 flag as a choice.

The poll also shows that 54% do not believe that the March, ’04 Referendum was fair. Only 33% believe that it was with 13% undecided.

If the referendum was held today, 47% of those polled favor the current flag and 40% favor the ’56 flag with 13% undecided.

The poll indicates that if a referendum is allowed, 70% to 23% with 7% undecided would be satisfied with the flag that receives the majority of the votes.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans has always only asked that the citizens be allowed to vote in a fair flag referendum.

GEORGIA VOTER POLL

STATE FLAG ISSUES

CONDUCTED FOR:

GEORGIA DIVISION

SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS

JANUARY 2005

This survey is a statistically valid statewide sampling of registered Georgia voters conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. Questions about the poll and/or poll methodology can be directed to Brad Coker, Managing Director of Mason-Dixon, at (904) 261-2444.

HOW THE POLL WAS CONDUCTED

This poll was commissioned by Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. of Washington, D.C. from January 27 through January 31, 2005. A total of 625 registered voters were interviewed statewide by telephone. All stated that they vote regularly in state elections.

Those interviewed were selected from a randomly generated telephone sample drawn from a complete list of registered Georgia voters. Quotas were assigned to reflect voter turn-out by county.

The margin for error, according to standards customarily used by statisticians, is no more than plus or minus 4 percentage points. This means that there is a 95 percent probability that the "true" figure would fall within that range if the entire population were sampled. The margin for error is higher for any subgroup, such as a regional or racial grouping.

—————————————SAMPLE FIGURES:

Men 309 (49%) Women 316 (51%)

Whites 453 (72%) Blacks 157 (25%) Other 15 (2%)

REGION

DeKalb/Fulton Counties 116 interviews

Atlanta Suburbs 121 interviews

North Georgia 135 interviews

Central Georgia 130 interviews

South Georgia 123 interviews

REGIONAL GROUPINGS

DEKALB/FULTON: Voters in Fulton and DeKalb Counties.

ATLANTA SUBURBS: Voters in Cobb, Gwinnett, Clayton, and Rockdale Counties.

NORTH GEORGIA: Voters in Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Gordon, Chattooga, Floyd, Bartow, Dawson, Hall, Lumpkin, Union, Towns, Rabun, White, Habersham, Banks, Stephens, Franklin, Hart, Elbert, Madison, Jackson, Lincoln, Wilkes, Ogelthorpe, Clarke, Oconee, Carroll, Haralson, Douglas, Polk, Paulding, Cherokee and Forsyth Counties.

CENTRAL GEORGIA: Voters in Richmond, Columbia, Burke, Jefferson, Glascock, McDuffie, Warren, Taliaferro, Greene, Morgan, Bibb, Twiggs, Houston, Bleckley, Telfair, Laurens, Washington, Baldwin, Hancock, Putnam, Jasper, Monroe, Jones, Upson, Crawford, Wilkinson, Johnson, Peach, Henry, Fayette, Spalding, Coweta, Heard, Troup, Meriwether, Pike, Walton, Barrow, Newton, Butts and Lamar Counties.

SOUTH GEORGIA: Voters in Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, Bulloch, Evans, Candler, Tattnall, Toombs, Jenkins, Emanuel, Montgomery, Treutlin, Wheeler, Telfair, Jeff Davis, Appling, Bacon, Ware, Charlton, Camden, Pierce, Brantley, Glynn, Wayne, Long, Liberty, McInstosh, Screven, Coffee, Atkinson, Clinch, Echols, Muscogee, Chattahoochee, Stewart, Webster, Sumter, Dooly, Pulaski, Dodge, Macon, Schley, Marion, Taylor, Talbot, Harris, Dougherty, Lee, Crisp, Wilcox, Ben Hill, Turner, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Berrien, Cook, Tift, Worth, Colquitt, Thomas, Grady, Decatur, Seminole, Miller, Baker, Mitchell, Early, Clay, Calhoun, Terrell, Randolph, Quitman, and Brooks Counties.

QUESTION: The Georgia legislature is presently considering holding a referendum to permit the voters to choose between the current State Flag and the 1956-2001 State Flag, which contained the Confederate battle emblem. Do you believe that the people of Georgia should be allowed to say which State Flag represents them, or not?

QUESTION: If another referendum were held, which Flag would you choose: (ORDER ROTATED)

– The present State Flag, or

– The 1956-2001 Flag with the Confederate battle emblem?

QUESTION: If another referendum were held, would you be satisfied with the Flag that received a majority of the votes regardless of the outcome, or not?

QUESTION: Do you view the Confederate flag primarily as: (ORDER ROTATED)

– A symbol of southern heritage and pride, or

– A symbol of segregation and racism?

QUESTION: Do you believe the referendum held in March 2004, which did not include the 1956-2001 State Flag, was fair to the voters of Georgia, or not?

On The Web: http://southernheritagepac.org/2005_Session/feb/scv_press_release.phtml