June 10, 1999 - Parents Should Be Told Of Girl's Abortion, New Jersey Voters 3 - 1 Tell Quinnipiac College Poll; 52 Percent Say Ban All Handguns By a 72 - 24 percent margin, New Jersey voters say parents should be informed before a girl under 18 years old can have an abortion, according to a Quinnipiac College Poll released today. Men support parental notification 76 - 21 percent, while women support it 68 - 27 percent. Support by religious groups is: Protestant, 71 - 24 percent; Catholic, 77 - 19 percent; Jewish 58 - 39 percent. On the overall abortion question, 46 percent of New Jersey voters favor abortion on demand, while 38 percent favor some limits on abortion and 14 percent want to ban abortions. Looking at gender and religious groups: Men - 44 percent for abortion on demand; 41 percent for limits; 13 percent to ban abortion; Women - 48 percent for abortion on demand; 35 percent for limits; 15 percent for a ban; Protestant - 43 percent for abortion on demand; 40 percent for limits; 16 percent for a ban; Catholic - 36 percent for abortion on demand; 44 percent for limits; 18 percent for a ban; Jewish - 78 percent for abortion on demand; 21 percent for limits; none for a ban. "New Jersey is a pro-choice state in general, but on specific proposals to limit abortion, most voters side with the right-to-lifers," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac College Polling Institute. "Gov. Christine Todd Whitman's switch in favor of parental notification has big support with voters." By a 64 - 29 percent margin, voters favor a 24-hour waiting period for a woman seeking an abortion, with similar support among men and women. And 80 percent of voters say late term or "partial birth" abortions should be illegal except to save the life of the mother. Again, men and women felt the same on this issue. Gun Control Asked which is more important, controlling guns or protecting the rights of gun owners, 71 percent of New Jersey voters want to control guns, while 25 percent want to protect gun owners' rights. Twenty-three percent of New Jersey voters say someone in their home owns a gun. Of this gun-owning group, 51 percent say it is more important to limit guns, while 44 percent say it is more important to protect gun owners' rights. Looking at several options for controlling guns, results among New Jersey voters are: 52 - 46 percent in favor of a complete ban on the sale of handguns, except to law enforcement and the military; 77 - 21 percent in favor of banning the sale of assault weapons; 89 - 9 percent in favor of requiring childproof trigger locks on guns; 66 - 26 percent in favor of strict criminal penalties for parents if their children use parents' guns illegally; 79 - 15 percent in favor of requiring `smart gun' technology which prevents anyone but the lawful owner from using a gun. Asked which party they trust to do a better job on the gun control issue, 41 percent of New Jersey voters trust Democrats, while 27 percent trust Republicans and 19 percent don't trust either party. "Even though there's a gun in one of five New Jersey households, voters favor every proposal to control gun use, most by very large margins," Carroll said. From June 1 - 7, Quinnipiac College surveyed 1,109 New Jersey residents who say they are registered voters. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percent. The Quinnipiac College Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as a public service and for research. For additional data: www.quinnipiac.edu 9. Which of these statements comes closest to your view? (A) Abortion should be generally available to those who want it. (B) Abortion should be available, but under stricter limits than it is now. (C) Abortion should not be permitted. Mar 5 Tot Men Wom Prot Cath Jew 1998 (A)Abortion should be generally available to those who want it. 46% 44% 48% 43% 36% 78% 47% (B)Abortion should be available, but under stricter limits than it is now. 38 41 35 40 44 21 35 (C)Abortion should not be permitted. 14 13 15 16 18 - 16 DK/NA 2 2 2 1 2 1 3 10. Do you favor or oppose a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion before the abortion could take place? Mar 5 Tot Men Wom Prot Cath Jew 1998 Favor 64% 63% 65% 67% 71% 49% 67% Oppose 29 30 28 28 21 40 27 DK/NA 7 7 7 6 8 11 6 11. Do you favor or oppose requiring parental consent before a girl under 18 years of age could have an abortion? Mar 5 Tot Men Wom Prot Cath Jew 1998 Favor 72% 76% 68% 71% 77% 58% 71% Oppose 24 21 27 24 19 39 24 DK/NA 4 3 5 5 4 3 6 12. How much have you heard or read about an abortion procedure performed in the last months of pregnancy, also known as partial birth abortion? A lot, some, only a little, or nothing at all? Mar 5 Tot Men Wom Prot Cath Jew 1998 A lot 31% 29% 34% 35% 30% 31% 35% Some 28 27 29 26 27 30 30 Only a little 21 25 18 20 23 21 18 Nothing at all 19 19 18 19 20 18 16 DK/NA - - - 1 - - 1 13. (If heard or read something) Do you think these late term abortions should be legal or do you think they should be illegal except when necessary to save the life of the mother? Heard or read something Mar 5 Tot Men Wom Prot Cath Jew 1998 Legal 14% 14% 14% 17% 7% 30% 14% Illegal except to save mother 80 78 82 79 88 63 82 DK/NA 6 8 4 5 5 7 5 14. (If heard or read something) Which of these statements comes closest to your point of view about partial birth abortions? Heard or read something Tot Men Wom Prot Cath Jew A) They should be illegal under all circumstances. 11% 7% 14% 14% 14% 4% B) They should be illegal with the only exception being when it is necessary to save the life of the mother. 29 32 26 29 35 12 C) They should be illegal except when necessary to save the life or protect the health of the mother. 40 39 41 36 42 45 D) They should be legal. 16 17 15 18 6 33 DK/NA 4 4 3 4 3 6 15. What do you think is more important: To protect the right of Americans to own guns or to control gun ownership? Gun Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom owners Protect rights 25% 37% 14% 25% 36% 15% 44% Control ownership 71 59 82 70 60 80 51 DK/NA 4 4 3 5 4 4 5 16. Which political party, the Democrats or the Republicans, do you trust to do a better job handling the issue of gun control? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Democrats 41% 11% 81% 33% 43% 39% Republicans 27 66 4 23 32 22 BOTH(VOL) 1 - 2 1 1 2 NEITHER(VOL) 19 13 8 27 19 19 DK/NA 12 9 6 16 5 18 17. Do you favor or oppose banning the sale of all handguns, except those that are issued to lawenforcement officers and military? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favor 52% 41% 63% 50% 41% 60% Oppose 46 57 35 48 58 36 DK/NA 2 2 2 2 1 3 18. Do you favor or oppose banning the sale of assault weapons? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favor 77% 70% 79% 80% 72% 81% Oppose 21 27 20 19 27 17 DK/NA 2 3 1 2 1 2 19. Do you favor or oppose requiring childproof trigger locks on guns? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favor 89% 84% 93% 88% 84% 93% Oppose 9 13 6 9 14 4 DK/NA 2 3 1 3 2 3 20. Do you favor or oppose creating strict criminal penalties for parents if their children illegally use the parents' guns? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favor 66% 72% 69% 61% 65% 67% Oppose 26 20 24 30 30 22 DK/NA 8 8 7 9 5 11 21. Do you favor or oppose requiring that guns be equipped with smart gun technology which uses a computer chip to prevent anyone but the owner from firing the gun? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favor 79% 75% 84% 77% 74% 84% Oppose 15 19 11 17 22 9 DK/NA 6 6 5 6 4 7 22. Is your opinion of the National Rifle Association favorable, unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about it? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favorable 21% 34% 13% 19% 28% 15% Unfavorable 32 17 46 32 31 32 Mixed 30 33 22 33 29 31 Haven't heard enough 17 15 19 16 11 22 REFUSED - - - - - - 23. Do you or does anyone in your house own a gun, or not? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes/Own gun 23% 33% 13% 24% 28% 18% No/Do not own gun 76 67 85 75 70 80 DK/NA 1 - 1 1 2 1
