ICYMI: As Gun Violence Continues to Drive Concerns About Crime, Voters Prioritize Gun Safety Ahead of Midterms  

Washington DC — With only two weeks until the midterms, voters remain focused on the economy, abortion, and concerns about rising crime. Data shows that the vast majority of increases of violent crime are incidents of gun violence—which voters tend to trust Democrats to handle more than Republicans. Polling conducted throughout 2022 has shown that the majority of voters support gun safety laws. Now, with the midterm campaign entering its final sprint, voters are increasingly connecting rising crime with rising gun violence and say that they will support candidates who prioritize gun safety legislation.

“With only days until this election, gun safety remains a top priority for voters. Rising crime is irrefutably linked to rising gun violence, and a strong majority of voters—Democrats, Republicans, and gun owners alike—are demanding stronger gun safety laws. Giffords will continue to play a key role in supporting candidates who put public safety and the will of voters ahead of gun lobby cash. Americans everywhere deserve to live without the fear of gun violence, and Giffords is working to ensure we elect leaders who will make this a reality.”

New polling from Politico/Morning Consult finds that over half of voters (55%) believe that guns are a major reason for the rise in violent crime, and 60 percent say that gun policy will play a major role in their vote this November. 

A mid-October survey from the Deseret News and HarrisX found “strong agreement that gun violence is a problem in the U.S., and Americans of all political stripes want lawmakers to do more to reduce gun deaths.” Only 4% of respondents said gun violence is not a problem in the country. And only 8% attributed the rise in gun violence to “insufficient policing.” There was also strong support for a number of individual policies to tackle the problem.

Giffords’s own polling shows that the majority of battleground voters blame criminals having easy access to guns (59% major factor) and an increase in illegal guns (58% major factor) for the increase in crime they believe is occurring. 

A September poll from Navigator Research found growing concern about mass shootings and gun violence.A summer University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows 71 percent of Americans say gun laws should be stricter, including about half of Republicans, the vast majority of Democrats and a majority of those in gun-owning households. Overall, 8 in 10 Americans perceive that gun violence is increasing around the country.

The latest CBS battleground tracking poll conducted from October 12-14 found that 86 percent of voters said gun policy would be an important issue in determining their vote, including 62 percent who said it was very important.  

According to the Politico/Morning Consult poll:

• 62% of voters believe that passing additional gun safety legislation is an important and top priority for Congress.
• Over a third of people think that stricter gun laws would decrease the rising crime wave. 
• Almost half of Americans trust Democrats more to handle gun policy.

A Politico-Harvard survey released in September found that 46 percent of voters said gun policies are “extremely important” in their congressional vote. 

Over the summer, a Pew Research Center Poll found that gun safety policy increased in importance among voters between March (54%) and August (62%).Giffords polling has shown for months that gun safety policy is a key concern for voters and can be a winning issue for candidates running this midterm season.

Research from 97Percent reveals that gun owners are also concerned about specific gun policies as they and others view the increase in crime as a result of weak gun legislation. According to the findings:

• Three-quarters of gun owners are alarmed by school shootings.
• 71% are concerned about mass shootings.
• 80% support prohibiting violent criminals from purchasing or possessing a gun; 78% want a law that bars those who have a history of domestic violence from owning a gun.
• 66% are worried about gun-related homicides and gun crimes in the city. 

Among Latino voters in an October 20 Axios-Ipsos survey, various gun violence prevention measures were the most popular policies tested, with all three enjoying broad bipartisan support.

A Navigator poll shows that the majority of Black (80%), Hispanic (57%), white (55%), and AAPI (51%) voters support stronger gun laws.

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Our experts can speak to the full spectrum of gun violence prevention issues. Have a question? Email us at media@giffords.org.

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