84% of Respondents, including 78% of Gun Owners, Supported Prohibiting the Sale And Possession of Ghost Guns and 84% Supported Increased Training Requirements for Those Seeking to Obtain a License to Carry
68% of Respondents – Including a Majority From Every Region in the Commonwealth – Said They Would be More Likely to Vote for a Candidate Who Supports Strengthening Gun Safety Laws
BOSTON – Today, Everytown for Gun Safety and its grassroots networks, the Massachusetts chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, unveiled new polling showing overwhelming support among Massachusetts voters, including Republicans and gun owners, for strengthening the Commonwealth’s gun laws. The polling showed strong support for policies currently under consideration in the Massachusetts State Legislature such as prohibiting ghost guns, increasing training requirements for those seeking a License to Carry, and prohibiting guns in sensitive places like schools, polling places, bars, and daycares.
“As Statehouse leaders commit to strengthening our gun laws this session, this new polling shows that Bay Staters overwhelmingly support common-sense efforts to keep Massahusetts safe,” said Lynn Grilli, a volunteer with the Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action. “As communities across the country continue to be torn apart by gun violence, we cannot afford the price of inaction. We look forward to working with our gun sense leaders on Beacon Hill to pass gun safety measures that put Massachusetts families first.”
This polling underlines the overwhelming support for gun safety and the need for urgent action on gun safety with 84% of respondents supporting the prohibition of the sale and possession of ghost guns and 84% supporting increased training requirements for those seeking to obtain a License to Carry, such as training on relevant state and federal laws, secure storage requirements, de-escalation techniques, and training on the safe use, carrying, and handling of firearms, including live-fire training.
Toplines from the Poll:
- 84% of respondents supported prohibiting the sale and possession of ghost guns.
- 84% supported increased training requirements for those seeking to obtain a License to Carry.
- 67% of respondents supported prohibiting guns in sensitive places such as schools, day care centers, polling places, and bars
- 69% supported prohibiting someone from bringing guns onto someone else’s private property without the property owner’s permission.
- 77% of respondents were concerned about the possibility of a shooting or the threat of gun violence affecting Massachusetts schools this year.
- 55% of respondents said that the idea of more people carrying concealed guns in their community made them feel less safe.
Strong Support from Gun Owners:
- 80% of respondents who identified as gun owners support increasing the training requirements for obtaining a license to carry.
- 78% support prohibiting the sale and possession of ghost guns.
- 61% support prohibiting guns in sensitive places, and 64% support prohibiting someone from bringing guns onto someone else’s private property without the property owner’s permission.
The poll, first reported by POLITICO, was conducted by Survey USA with approximately 1,000 likely voters from September 11 through September 14, 2023.
The polling demonstrates that gun safety is a unifying and urgent issue for gun owners and non-gun-owners alike in Massachusetts, and underscores that an overwhelming majority of Bay Staters agree on taking these common-sense solutions.
This session, lawmakers have an opportunity to strengthen the state’s gun laws to address new threats to public safety, keep public spaces safe after the Supreme Court’s reckless decision that made it easier to carry guns in public in Massachusetts, and continue building on the last decade’s progress that made Massachusetts a national leader in the fight against gun violence.
In an average year in Massachusetts, 255 people die by guns and 557 people are wounded. Gun violence costs Massachusetts $3.5 billion each year, of which $85.4 million is paid by taxpayers. More information on gun violence in Massachusetts is available here, and Everytown’s Gun Law Rankings – which shows Massachusetts’ gun laws are the strongest in the country – is available here.
To speak with a Massachusetts Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action volunteer, please reach out to [email protected].