Florida

62% of Florida Voters Support Sales Ban of ‘Assault Weapons': Poll

About 65 percent of Florida voters also support "stricter gun laws"

What to Know

  • About 87 percent of Florida voters support a mandatory waiting period on all gun purchases.
  • Overall, 65 percent of voters support "stricter gun laws."
  • The poll comes after the Parkland school tragedy in which 17 people were shot dead.

In Florida, 62 percent of voters support a nationwide ban on the sale of "assault weapons," while 56 percent of voters oppose arming teachers and school officials, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.

In a separate question with different wording, 53 percent of voters support a nationwide ban on the sale of all "semi-automatic rifles."

To reduce gun violence in schools, 51 percent of voters said they support "increased security at school entrances," 32 percent support stricter gun laws and 12 percent support arming teachers.

Fifty-three percent of voters with children under the age of 18 who attend public schools oppose arming school personnel.

The poll was released two weeks after the Parkland school tragedy in which 17 people were shot and killed by a gunman who used an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

Overall, 65 percent of Florida voters support "stricter gun laws," such as:

  • 96 percent support requiring background checks for all gun buyers.
  • 62 percent support a nationwide ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
  • 87 percent support a mandatory waiting period on all gun purchases.
  • 78 percent support requiring that all gun buyers be at least 21 years old.
  • 89 support allowing police or family members to petition a judge to remove guns from a person who may be at risk of violent behavior.
  • 92 percent support banning gun ownership by anyone who has had a restraining order for stalking, domestic abuse or other reasons.

“The notion that we are bitterly divided on political matters – the case for past decades – has found an exception to that rule. Florida voters – be they young or old, white or black, man or woman – have a common enemy,” Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, said in a statement. “Floridians are strongly united that more needs to be done to reign in guns, especially the type of gun used this month to massacre 17 people in Parkland."

The Quinnipiac University poll, which has a 3.6 percent margin of error, surveyed 1,156 Florida voters from Friday through Monday via live telephone interviews.

In another question, the poll found that 67 percent of Florida voters support restoring voting rights to convicted felons who completed their sentences, but not including those convicted of murder or sexual offenses.

Contact Us