ICYMI: New Polling Shows Voters Demand Stronger Gun Laws
Washington DC — As Congress considers passing the bipartisan Senate agreement on gun safety, public sentiment for gun reform is nearing record highs. Several recent polls demonstrate the public’s demand for stronger gun safety laws:
Peter Ambler, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Giffords:
“Americans across the political spectrum are sick and tired of gun violence. They’re tired of nothing more than thoughts and prayers from Congress. This polling reiterates what the gun violence prevention movement has known for a long time: the time for action is now. Giffords urges Congress to swiftly take up the bipartisan framework and send it to President Biden’s desk.”
Neil Newhouse, Public Opinion Strategies: “It’s clear from the data that Republican primary voters, at the very least, are not going to punish Republican members for voting for this,” Newhouse, a Republican pollster who conducted private polling for Sen. Cornyn and the Congressional Leadership Fund, told the Washington Post. Newhouse surveyed 1,000 gun-owning households.
- A package of gun safety legislation that would provide for mandatory background checks, expanded background checks for people under 21, and increased funding for school resource officers and mental health counselors: Eighty-four percent of gun-owning households strongly or somewhat support such a package.
- Increased federal funding for states to implement and strengthen “red flag” laws: Seventy-ninepercent of gun-owning households support this policy.
- Closing the so-called “boyfriend loophole”: Eighty-sixpercent of gun-owning households support this policy.
Enhanced background checks including juvenile records: Eighty-sevenpercent of gun-owning households say that their state your state should definitely or probably make criminal and mental health records of juveniles available to the background check system
POLITICO/Morning Consult: Surveying over 2,000 registered voters in June, a joint poll from Politico and Morning Consult found that voters overwhelmingly support lifesaving gun safety proposals, including:
- Requiring background checks on all gun sales: Eighty-nine percent strongly or somewhat support; 7% strongly or somewhat oppose.
- Banning assault-style weapons: Sixty-six percent strongly or somewhat support; 28% strongly or somewhat oppose.
- Banning high-capacity magazines: Sixty-nine percent strongly or somewhat support; 23% strongly or somewhat oppose.
- Preventing sales of all firearms to people reported as dangerous to law enforcement by a mental health provider: Eighty-seven percent strongly or somewhat support; 7% strongly or somewhat oppose.
- Requiring all gun owners to store their guns in a safe storage unit: Seventy-six percent strongly or somewhat support; 17% strongly or somewhat oppose.
- Requiring a person to be 21 in order to purchase a gun: Seventy-nine percent strongly or somewhat support; 15% strongly or somewhat oppose.
- Temporarily taking away firearms from people who are seen as a threat to themselves or others, as determined by a court order: Eighty-two percent strongly or somewhat support; 10% strongly or somewhat oppose.
Quinnipiac Poll: Surveying over 1,500 U.S. adults in June, a poll conducted by Quinnipiac provides additional evidence that Americans want their elected officials to fight gun violence:
- Requiring background checks for all gun buyers: Ninety-two percent support; 7% oppose.
- Allowing the police or family members to petition a judge to remove guns from a person that may be at risk for violent behavior: Eighty-three percent support; 12% oppose.
- Raising the minimum legal age to buy any gun to 21 years old: Seventy-four percent support; 24% oppose.
ABC/Ipsos Poll: Surveying a nationally representative sample of 542 adults in June, a poll conducted by ABC and Ipsos found that ninety percent of voters say gun violence will be “extremely, very, or somewhat important” to their vote for Congress this November.”
CBS News Poll: Surveying over 2,000 U.S. adults in June, a poll conducted by CBS found that seventy-two percent believe mass shootings are “something we can prevent and stop if we really tried” while 28% percent say they are “unfortunately something we have to accept as part of a free society.” The survey found additional support for specific gun safety measures, including:
- Requiring background checks on all potential gun buyers: Eighty-one percent support; 19% oppose.
- Nationwide ban on the AR-15 semi-automatic weapon: Sixty-two percent support; 38% oppose.
- “Red flag” law that allows court to order the temporary removal of guns from a person who they deem a potential danger to others or themselves: Seventy-two support; 28% oppose.
Navigator Research
Americans are demanding action from their elected officials and our leaders must meet the moment. From passing the bipartisan gun safety agreement to confirming Steve Dettlebach to serve as the next Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, real solutions to America’s gun violence problem are within reach if legislators find the #CourageToAct. And, if they don’t, Americans will remember in November.
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