50% of the Freelance Workforce Plans to Vote for Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden, According to New Data from HoneyBook

HoneyBook, the leading business and financial management platform for small business service providers, today released a 2020 Freelance Election Report examining the political preferences of freelance workers— a population that comprises 35% of the U.S. workforce. The report reveals freelancers’ attitudes towards political leadership, the economic impact of COVID-19 and the issues that will most influence their vote this November. 

Drawing from a survey of more than 1,000 freelancers and small business service providers conducted from September 9 to September 20, 2020, HoneyBook uncovered the following findings:

Joe Biden is the leading presidential candidate among U.S. freelancers.
With the 2020 presidential election almost a month away, data from HoneyBook shows Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden is in the lead. If the election were held today, 50% of likely voters from the survey would cast their ballot for Joe Biden, 35% would vote for Republican candidate Donald Trump and 11% are still undecided. 

Among freelancers who voted for President Donald Trump in 2016, 13% say that they will not vote for him again in this election and 7% say they will switch their vote to Joe Biden. 

Freelancers have been hit hard by COVID-19 and they blame Congress more than President Donald Trump.
Restrictions imposed by the coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent economic downturn have significantly curtailed the earning power of small business service providers. HoneyBook’s study found that 50% of freelancers lost more than a quarter of their revenue and 28% lost more than half. 

Further analysis found that freelancers are more critical of how Congress is handling the economic crisis than President Donald Trump. The results show that: 

• 67% of freelancers disapprove of Congress’ actions while 53% disapprove of President Donald Trump’s actions
• 21% of freelancers approve of Congress’ actions whereas 42% approve of President Donald Trump’s actions

“Small businesses across the U.S. are dying in the wake of COVID-19 and, with stimulus negotiations now on pause until after the election, they’ve been dealt yet another devastating blow,” says Oz Alon, CEO of HoneyBook. “Regardless of your political preference, small business owners are a vital part of our society and a driving force behind the economy. It is therefore imperative that Congress rise above political partisanship and come together to deliver the critical aid small business owners need in this unprecedented time.” 

Health care and social issues will impact how freelancers vote this election. 
As America’s freelance workforce continues to grow so too does its political influence. With 90% of freelancers planning to vote in the 2020 election and 88% already registered, a presidential candidate’s stance on issues business owners care about could have a significant impact on the election’s outcome. 

1 in 3 survey respondents said they are likely to switch who they are voting for if the opposing party’s policies address the needs of freelancers and their current party’s policies do not. When asked which issues will most likely influence their vote, the following emerged as the top four:

• 66% said access to affordable healthcare 
• 65% said protection against discrimination 
• 63% said protection against harassment 
• 59% said access to social security 

Gen Z and Millennials are still up for grabs with the highest percentage of undecided voters.  
According to the HoneyBook survey, Gen Z and Millennials are less decided about who they are going to vote for in 2020. In fact, Gen Z is three times more likely to be undecided than Gen X and Boomers. This cohort represents the highest percentage of undecided voters at 26% followed by Millennials at 16%. 

HoneyBook looked into which political issues matter most for each generation. The results show that older generations consider institutional benefits like health care and social security most important while younger voters put greater emphasis on social issues like protection against discrimination and harassment. 

The most important issue for each generation according to the survey was: 

• 68% of Gen Z value protection against harassment most 
• 68% of Millennials value protection against discrimination most 
• 69% of Gen X value access to affordable health care most
• 74% of Baby Boomers value affordable health care and social security equally

While Democratic candidate Joe Biden leads among all generations, given the high percentage of undecided voters among Gen Z and Millennials, new campaign developments could still sway this influential demographic.  

Methodology
HoneyBook surveyed 1,061 freelancers and small business owners from September 9 to September 20, 2020. Of the survey respondents, 10% were Gen Z (age 18-24), 48% were Millennials (age 25-39), 22% were Gen X (age 40-49), 20% were Baby Boomers (age 50+). Respondents identified as Republican 25%, Democrat 33%, Independent 26% and 16% as undecided or “other.”

About HoneyBook
HoneyBook is the leading business and financial management platform for small business service providers and freelancers. By combining tools like billing, contracts and client communication, HoneyBook helps business owners get organized so they can provide top-tier service at every step. HoneyBook is trusted by service providers across the U.S. and Canada who have booked more than $2B in business on its platform. Founded in 2013, HoneyBook is based in San Francisco and funded by Citi Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners and Aleph. For more information, go to: honeybook.com.

 1. Upwork and Freelancers Union, “Freelancing in America: 2019,” Edelman Intelligence, 2019.

Contact Information

Maggie Philbin

PR for HoneyBook

VSC for HoneyBook

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