New poll: Rhode Islanders unhappy with McKee, direction of the state. Here's the takeaways.

Rhode Islanders are not very happy this summer about the "direction of the state" and Gov. Dan McKee's job performance, according to a newly released poll by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.

Among the findings:

• Only 29% of those surveyed, including less than half (42%) of the Democrats who responded, approve of Democrat McKee's performance as governor.

• 65% disapprove and 6% said they had no opinion.

• A majority are pessimistic about the direction of the state, citing housing, the state of the state's "infrastructure" and "corrupt or incompetent government" as Rhode Island's top problems.

• Despite the McKee administration's efforts to downplay the continuing effects of the Washington Bridge fiasco, most Rhode Islanders say the closure "typically adds 10-44 minutes to their trips."

• Few seem to understand the "Constitutional Convention" question they will see on the November ballot.

How many Rhode Islanders were surveyed?

According to UNH, 598 Rhode Islanders, who were recruited from phone, text-to-web or mail-to-web surveys sent to randomly selected phone numbers or addresses, completed the survey online between July 11 and July 15, 2024. The margin of sampling error is described as "+/- 4.0%."

Takeaways from the poll

For McKee, the good news is that he is not running for reelection this year, as his approval rating has remained at 29% since UNH last surveyed the state in May.

The divide: 42% of those who identified as Democrats approve of McKee's performance as governor, while only 21% of independents and 9% of Republicans approve.

The survey did not probe the reasons for the discontent, but the abrupt – and permanent – closure of the westbound span of the Washington Bridge remains an irritant.

Roughly a third said they used the bridge at least once a week, if not daily, and another 9% at least once a month.

In response to a broadly worded survey question extending back to the bridge closure more than seven months ago: 48% said that their trips are typically 10 to 29 minutes longer, 22% said their trips are 30 to 44 minutes longer, 5% said their trips are 45 to 59 minutes longer and 2% said trips "are typically an hour or more longer."

The governor and the state's transportation director, Peter Alviti, say the reports they see indicate westbound traffic is almost back to what it was before the bridge closure, although there are some delays, particularly in the evening, heading east.

Constitutional Convention question

But one thing was clear – those surveyed admitted they knew little about what it might mean if they voted yes – or no – in November on calling the first Constitutional Convention since the mid-1980s.

A majority (57%) said they do not understand the question very well.

The only unexpected finding, perhaps: 67% of Republicans – who in the past have seen a convention as a possible way to achieve a line-item veto and other elusive goals in Rhode Island's Democrat-dominated power structure – were "particularly likely to say that they do not understand this ballot question very well or well at all."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Here's how Rhode Islanders feel about McKee, the state