Yukoners' territorial voting preferences remain as they were last fall, with the Liberals leading the way, a new opinion poll shows.

If the election expected in 2011 was held today, the Liberals would attract 36 per cent of decided voters, the DataPath Systems survey shows.

The results, released Thursday night, show 25 per cent of decided voters would endorse the Yukon Party and 23 per cent would vote NDP.

Sixteen per cent would vote for other options, the results show.

This compares nearly exactly to the data seen in October 2009.

The Yukon Party had reached a high of 46-per-cent support in the winter and summer of 2008.

Both the Liberal party and the NDP capitalized on the drops in support seen for the Yukon Party starting in June 2009.

While 55 per cent of the surveyed voters said they selected their party based on that party's policies, 27 per cent responded it was mainly due to not liking the current government.

This is up from 20 per cent in October 2009 and 22 per cent in the spring of 2009.

However, the satisfaction ratings for all three parties have not shifted from October 2009.

The Yukon Party, even with a drop in support, continues to have the highest satisfaction ratings, with 16 per cent of Yukoners rating it a four or five on a five-point scale.

This compares to 10 per cent for the Liberal party and 13 per cent for the NDP.

"Perhaps Yukoners are not actually impressed with any party, but are looking for alternatives to a party they have lost faith in,” said DataPath partner Donna Larsen.

While Yukoners are feeling a bit more optimistic toward the economy, the poll shows, they continue to express disappointment with the current government.

Fewer Yukoners feel the Yukon economy is in critical or serious condition compared to a year ago.

Last spring, 33 per cent of Yukoners diagnosed the territorial economy as in critical or serious condition, when giving it a health check-up. This has dropped to 24 per cent this month.

The majority of that change places the economy in stable condition, up to 64 per cent, from 56 per cent in 2009.

Even compared to ratings in October 2009, Yukoners show growing optimism with critical or serious ratings dropping from 29 per cent last October to 24 per cent this month.

Another change from last spring is that few Yukoners are rating the economy as the number one issue facing the Yukon.

In 2009, this reached 25 per cent of Yukoners rating the economy as the number one issue, compared to only 11 per cent this month.

Combining the economy and unemployment shows that 16 per cent of Yukoners place this as the top issue.

Similarly, 16 per cent put environment issues at the top, while 16 per cent place poor government at the top.

The environment jumped from 13 per cent in the spring of 2009, and poor government climbed from eight per cent.

In October 2009, poor government was at an all-time high of 19 per cent, and has dropped slightly to 16 per cent this spring.

However, compared to last spring, Yukoners are not any more likely to feel they are personally better off than they were a year ago.

In spring 2009, 16 per cent of Yukoners responded they were somewhat or much better off than a year earlier, and that is fairly stable at 18 per cent this spring.

But this continues to be lower than seen in the spring of 2001, when 37 per cent of Yukoners felt better off, and in the summer of 2006, when this was still higher at 27 per cent, Larsen said.

"So, while Yukoners are feeling better about the economic picture in the Yukon, they have not seen this really hit home yet to improve their household situation, said Larsen.

"And this optimism in the economy is also not helping the Yukon Party.”

DataPath, which paid for the survey, is an independent market research company based at Marsh Lake.

Its telephone surveys were conducted with 189 Whitehorse residents and 150 non-Whitehorse residents between March 1 and March 12.

The data are weighted to accurately represent Yukoners based on the community they live in, their age and gender.

Percentages are statistically valid to +/- 5.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20 (95 per cent confidence).