March 6, 2013 - Connecticut Voters Back Most Gun Measures 2-1 Or More, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; 93% Want Background Checks For All Gun Buyers Word format PDF format By margins of 2-1 or more, Connecticut voters support most gun-control measures, with support for universal background checks at 93 - 6 percent, including 89 - 9 percent among voters in households where there are guns, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Voters support stricter statewide gun-control laws 66 - 30 percent, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Support for specific measures includes: 68 - 28 percent back an expansion of the statewide ban on the sale of assault weapons. Gun owners are opposed 49 - 44 percent; 68 - 28 percent back a ban on the sale of ammunition magazines with more than 10 rounds. Gun owners are divided 49 - 48 percent; 72 - 27 percent back registration of all handguns, with annual renewal. Gun owners are divided with 48 percent in favor and 50 percent opposed; 63 - 31 percent, including 50 - 46 percent among gun owners, favor limiting handgun purchases to one per month; 85 - 14 percent, including 71 - 28 percent among gun owners, back a permit requirement to purchase and carry all guns; 86 - 11 percent, including 85 - 12 percent among gun owners, favor a gun offender registry for those convicted of gun crimes; 76 - 19 percent, including 65 - 32 percent among gun owners, back stricter gun storage requirements; 50 - 43 percent back mandatory liability insurance for gun owners, who oppose this measure 71 - 26 percent. "In the wake of the Newtown tragedy, there is overwhelming support among Connecticut voters for strengthening the state's gun laws. It is remarkable how bipartisan the support is for some of the most talked-about gun-control measures. Universal background checks tops the list with 93 percent support, higher than we've ever seen for any issue in 20 years of Connecticut surveys," said Douglas Schwartz, PhD, director of the Quinnipiac University poll. "Interestingly, Republican voters are divided 45 - 48 percent on the general question, 'Do you support or oppose stricter gun-control laws in Connecticut.' They support, however, most of the specific measures," Dr. Schwartz added. The Newtown tragedy makes them more likely to support gun-control, 54 percent of Connecticut voters say, while 43 percent say it makes no difference. Voters are divided on a proposal to prohibit people convicted of drunk driving from owning guns, with 45 percent in favor and 48 percent opposed. Voters also are divided on a proposed ban on children under 18 playing violent point- and-shoot video games in public arcades, with 46 percent in favor and 48 percent opposed. Voters do support 54 - 41 percent placing armed police officers in public schools in the state. Connecticut voters are divided on the way Gov. Dannel Malloy is handling gun policy, with 41 percent approving and 38 percent disapproving. Approval is 58 - 19 percent among Democrats, while disapproval is 55 - 30 percent among Republicans and 43 - 35 percent among independent voters. Gov. Malloy is moving too quickly on gun-control, 33 percent of voters say, while 17 percent say he is not moving quickly enough and 42 percent say his pace is about right. Voters also say 54 - 39 percent that Democrats and Republicans in the State Legislature will not be able to work together to reduce gun violence in Connecticut. By a 42 - 20 percent margin, voters are more likely rather than less likely to back a state legislator who votes for stricter gun control. Another 35 percent say this won't affect their vote. "Connecticut voters are not optimistic that Democratic and Republican elected officials can or will act together to reduce gun violence," Schwartz said. "Democrats are optimistic 50 - 43 percent, but Republicans are not, 64 - 32 percent, and independent voters are pessimistic, 58 - 35 percent." From March 4 - 5, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,009 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points. Live interviewers call landlines and cell phones. The Quinnipiac University Poll conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, and the nation as a public service and for research. For more information or RSS feed, visit http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201, or follow us on Twitter. 1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Dannel Malloy is handling his job as Governor? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Approve 43% 25% 63% 36% 41% 44% 30% Disapprove 43 64 22 48 49 37 55 DK/NA 15 12 15 15 10 19 15 TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Dannel Malloy is handling his job as Governor? APPROVE....... High Low Mar 06 Oct 24 Aug 28 Jun 06 Apr 25 Oct 24 Mar 09 2013 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2011 Approve 43 45 43 44 37 45 35 Disapprove 43 41 43 47 44 41 40 DK/NA 15 14 14 9 19 14 25 2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Dannel Malloy is handling gun policy? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Approve 41% 30% 58% 35% 35% 48% 28% Disapprove 38 55 19 43 48 29 52 DK/NA 21 15 23 21 18 23 20 3. Do you support or oppose stricter gun control laws in Connecticut? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Support 66% 45% 84% 63% 55% 75% 44% Oppose 30 48 12 33 40 20 53 DK/NA 5 7 3 4 5 5 4 4x. Summary table for questions 4 through 15. Support Oppose (4) Background checks for all gun buyers 93% 6% (5) Expansion of statewide ban on assault weapons 68 28 (6) Statewide ban on high-capacity magazines 68 28 (7) Registration of all handguns with annual renewal 72 27 (8) Limiting handgun purchases to one per month 63 31 (9) Requiring a permit to purchase and carry all guns 85 14 (10) Creating a gun offender registry 86 11 (11) Prohibiting drunk drivers from owning guns 45 48 (12) Stricter gun storage requirements 76 19 (13) Requiring gun owners to buy liability insurance 50 43 (14) Prohibiting kids <18 from violent video games in arcades46 48 (15) Placing an armed police officer in public schools in CT 54 41 4. (INTRO q4-q15: Do you support or oppose the following laws in Connecticut?) Do you support or oppose requiring background checks for all gun buyers? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Support 93% 91% 96% 92% 90% 96% 89% Oppose 6 7 3 8 9 3 9 DK/NA 1 1 2 - 1 1 1 5. Do you support or oppose expanding the statewide ban on the sale of assault weapons? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Support 68% 51% 85% 63% 56% 79% 44% Oppose 28 43 10 33 41 16 49 DK/NA 5 5 5 4 4 5 7 6. Do you support or oppose a statewide ban on the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 bullets? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Support 68% 56% 85% 63% 56% 80% 49% Oppose 28 40 11 35 42 16 48 DK/NA 3 4 5 2 2 5 3 7. Do you support or oppose requiring registration of all handguns with annual renewal? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Support 72% 62% 88% 66% 59% 84% 48% Oppose 27 36 12 32 40 14 50 DK/NA 2 3 - 2 1 2 1 8. Do you support or oppose limiting handgun purchases to one per month? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Support 63% 56% 73% 61% 57% 69% 50% Oppose 31 37 22 33 38 24 46 DK/NA 6 7 5 5 4 7 4 9. Do you support or oppose requiring a permit to purchase and carry all guns? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Support 85% 83% 94% 81% 76% 93% 71% Oppose 14 17 5 18 23 7 28 DK/NA 1 - 1 1 1 1 1 10. Do you support or oppose creating a gun offender registry for those convicted of crimes using a firearm? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Support 86% 87% 88% 85% 87% 85% 85% Oppose 11 10 9 12 12 9 12 DK/NA 4 3 3 4 1 6 3 11. Do you support or oppose prohibiting people convicted of drunk driving from owning guns? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Support 45% 35% 51% 45% 34% 54% 35% Oppose 48 57 42 49 60 37 58 DK/NA 7 8 7 7 6 9 7 12. Do you support or oppose having stricter gun storage requirements? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Support 76% 66% 89% 72% 68% 83% 65% Oppose 19 28 8 23 28 11 32 DK/NA 5 6 3 5 3 6 3 13. Do you support or oppose requiring gun owners to buy liability insurance? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Support 50% 35% 65% 49% 37% 63% 26% Oppose 43 58 29 46 57 31 71 DK/NA 6 8 7 5 5 7 3 14. Do you support or oppose prohibiting children under 18 from playing violent point-and-shoot video games in public arcades? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Support 46% 46% 52% 43% 36% 56% 41% Oppose 48 49 42 52 61 37 57 DK/NA 5 5 6 5 3 7 2 15. Do you support or oppose placing an armed police officer in public schools in Connecticut? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Support 54% 56% 50% 55% 53% 55% 58% Oppose 41 37 46 41 43 40 38 DK/NA 5 7 4 4 4 6 3 16. Do you think Governor Malloy is trying to change the state's gun laws too quickly, not quickly enough, or at about the right pace? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Too quickly 33% 50% 12% 39% 46% 20% 53% Not quickly enough 17 7 22 18 10 23 5 About right 42 35 54 36 36 47 32 DK/NA 9 7 12 7 8 10 10 17. If your state legislator votes for stricter gun control laws in Connecticut, would you be more likely to vote for that person, less likely to vote for that person, or wouldn't it make a difference? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds More likely 42% 27% 59% 36% 32% 52% 19% Less likely 20 29 6 24 29 12 41 No difference 35 41 31 37 38 33 37 DK/NA 3 3 4 3 2 4 3 18. Do you think Republicans and Democrats in the state legislature will be able to work together to reduce gun violence in Connecticut or don't you think so? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Yes/Work together 39% 32% 50% 35% 34% 44% 31% No/Don't think so 54 64 43 58 61 48 64 DK/NA 7 4 7 7 5 8 5 19. Thinking about the school shootings in Newtown, would you say this incident has made you more likely to support stricter gun control laws, less likely to support stricter gun control laws, or made no difference in your opinion about gun control laws? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds More likely 54% 46% 66% 48% 44% 62% 38% Less likely 3 5 1 4 3 3 6 No difference 43 49 33 46 52 34 56 DK/NA 1 1 - 2 1 1 1 19a. Thinking about the school shootings in Newtown, would you say this incident has made you more likely to support some forms of gun control, less likely to support some forms of gun control, or made no difference in your opinion on gun control? COMBINED WITH: (If more likely/less likely) Is that much more/less likely or somewhat more/less likely? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Much more likely 36% 28% 48% 31% 25% 47% 23% Somewhat more likely 17 17 18 18 19 15 15 Somewhat less likely 1 3 1 2 2 1 2 Much less likely 1 2 - 2 2 1 4 No difference 43 49 33 46 52 34 56 DK/NA 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 20. Do you think that stricter state gun control laws will help Connecticut's economy, hurt Connecticut's economy, or not make a difference? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds Help 6% 4% 9% 4% 3% 8% 3% Hurt 25 38 11 30 36 16 47 No difference 65 56 76 62 57 71 47 DK/NA 4 2 4 3 3 5 3 20x. Do you or does anyone in your house own a gun, or not? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes 27% 36% 18% 29% 35% 20% No 67 55 80 65 58 76 DK/NA 5 9 2 6 7 4 Demographic Summary
