A survey sampling of Vermonters shows that a majority of the state’s residents would support a range of gun control measures. The poll was released on Feb. 21 by Castleton Polling Institute.
Read the overview here. For details about the survey, download this PDF.
More than 84 percent of those surveyed favor reporting of mental health information to the National Instant Background Check System; a ban on the sale of high capacity ammunition magazines (66 percent); a ban on the sale of assault weapons (61 percent); a ban on assault weapon ownership (54 percent); and support for closing the gun show “loophole,” which critics say allow the illegal trafficking of guns (75 percent).
Gun owners represented about half of those surveyed, and, not surprisingly, did not support gun control reforms as readily as those who don’t own guns. Still, a majority of the gun owners surveyed supported all of the aforementioned restrictions, with the exception of a ban on the sale of assault weapons (50 percent supported) and assault weapon ownership (40 percent supported). Eighty-two percent want the state to require mental health reporting, 71 percent want to close the gun show loophole and 55 percent would like to see a ban on high magazine clips.
There was a wide disparity between Democrats, who overwhelming support gun control measures, and Republicans, who are adamantly pro-gun. Independents, who made up nearly half of the respondents, closely tracked Democrats.
Only 19 percent of those surveyed said the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., in which 20 young children were killed, had an impact on their views regarding gun control.
The poll has a margin of error of 3.9 percent. The Castleton Polling Institute interviewed 620 Vermonters; 130 via cell phone.
The Castleton poll upends conventional wisdom about Vermont’s pro-gun culture purported by gun rights advocates (a vocal minority) and many of the state’s politicians — Republicans and Democrats alike.
The Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy has propelled legislation forward in the Vermont House that would ban large ammunition magazines, require mental health reporting, close the gun show loophole and create state laws that mirror bans on gun ownership by convicted felons and domestic violence offenders.
Proponents for gun control and gun rights have held alternating rallies over the last month. The latest on Saturday drew hundreds of Second Amendment advocates to the Statehouse.
