It's still, in my view, under-rated in this election cycle. Gallup finds a sturdy 17 – 20 percent of Americans who won't vote for a qualified candidate who happens to be a Mormon. That includes 18 percent of Independents. Among those without a high school diploma – a sector Romney has to do well in, especially in the swing states – 23 percent are resistant. There is no real difference between Protestants and Catholics on the issue. More worrying for Romney, a third still don't know he is a Mormon. In the words of Frank Newport:
Americans who know that Romney is a Mormon are the most likely to say they would vote for a Mormon for president. Those who do not know Romney's religion are the most resistant to a Mormon candidate. This suggests the possibility that as Romney's faith becomes better known this summer and fall, it could become more of a negative factor — given that those who resist the idea of a Mormon president will in theory become more likely to realize that Romney is a Mormon as the campaign unfolds. That things will actually work out this way, however, is far from clear.
The Dish 