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NEW POLL: Vast Majority of Hawai‘i Residents Support Sensible Gun Safety Laws 

March 3, 2023

More Than 75% of Respondents – Including a Majority of Gun Owners – Support Prohibiting Carrying Concealed Guns in Schools, Playgrounds, and Bars, Government Buildings and Businesses Open to the Public, like Restaurants, Hotels and Shopping Malls.

Honolulu – Today, the Hawai‘i chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, unveiled new polling demonstrating that an overwhelming majority of Hawai‘i residents support strengthening permitting safeguards and clarifying where guns are prohibited now that more people will be eligible to carry guns in public following the Supreme Court’s decision in Bruen

The poll was conducted by Hawai‘i-based Ward Research Inc. and surveyed 605 registered voters across the state in O’ahu and the neighbor islands, Maui, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i. Key data from the poll shows that over 75% of Hawai’i residents support prohibiting guns in businesses open to the public like restaurants, hotels and shopping malls, and crowded venues like stadiums and concert halls. In addition, the poll shows 90% of Hawai’i residents support prohibiting concealed carry of firearms in K-12 schools and playgrounds, establishments where alcohol is served, and government buildings such as courts and libraries. One in 5 respondents was a gun owner, and notably, a majority of gun owners supported all of these location restrictions as well.

Other toplines include: 

  • Almost all respondents, including gun owners, support stricter rules on who is eligible for a permit to carry a gun outside the home.
    • 95% of residents, including 94% of gun owners, agree that people should receive in-person firearm training to demonstrate they can safely handle a firearm before they are allowed to carry a gun in public. 
    • 95% of residents, including 94% of gun owners, agree that law enforcement should be allowed to deny concealed carry permits to people who pose a risk to public safety. 
  • A majority of voters – including gun owners – agree that more guns in public makes Hawai‘i less safe.
    • 78% of residents, including 64% of gun owners, agree that allowing more guns in public makes it more likely that tense situations will escalate or that guns will be used to intimidate people.
    • 76% of residents, including 61% of gun owners, agree that Hawai‘i would be less safe if more people were allowed to carry guns in public.

The polling demonstrates that gun safety is a unifying and urgent issue for gun owners and non-owners alike, and underscores the need for urgent action after SCOTUS’ dangerous ruling in Bruen, which undermined one of Hawai‘i’s critical gun safety laws. The court decision struck down a New York state law that ensured people were not carrying firearms in public unless they had a specific need and, in doing so, invalidated a similar law in Hawai‘i. This year, lawmakers have an opportunity to fix the state’s gun laws in response to the reckless Supreme Court decision and continue building on the last decade’s progress that made Hawai‘i a national leader in the fight against gun violence.

The full polling memo can be found here

Information about gun violence in Hawai‘i is available here. If you have questions, or to request an interview with a volunteer from Hawai‘i Moms Demand Action about advocacy and gun violence prevention in the state, please reach out to [email protected]

If you're a member of the media, please send inquiries to [email protected]