Executive Summary

This latest survey by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, conducted in swing state legislative districts in Pennsylvania, reveals a worried public that wants concrete action taken to reduce violence caused by handguns.

In the wake of a recent spate of gun violence in Pennsylvania, including the shooting of five police officers in three weeks, voters are looking for leadership on this issue. On both sides of the political spectrum, a strong majority of voters support stricter handgun safety laws to reduce crime and violence. Specifically, voters overwhelmingly approve of measures to require handgun owners to immediately report lost or stolen firearms to the police and to limit the purchase of handguns to no more than one per month.

Key Findings

• Pennsylvania voters perceive that crime and violence has increased significantly: Nearly three in five voters believe gun violence has increased in the past year - 15 times greater than the number of people who believe it has decreased.
• Asked whether something should be done to reduce crime and gun violence, a resounding 86 percent say ‘yes.’ However, by nearly a two-to-one ratio (48 to 28 percent), voters are unaware that public officials in the state capitol are doing anything to address gun violence.
• Voters support stricter handgun safety laws by greater than a two-to-one margin (65% support, 32% oppose), with a large percentage of them (48 percent) strongly favoring such laws. Only 18 percent strongly oppose.

Methodology

This survey was conducted among 600 registered voters from November 4-6, 2007 with a margin of error of +/- 4.1 percent. The sample was divided across six legislative districts in Pennsylvania, with 100 voters surveyed in each of the following districts: LD 5 in Erie County of Rep. John R. Evans; LD 41 in Lancaster County of Rep. Katie True; LD 61 in Montgomery County of Rep. Kate Harper; LD 127 in Berks County of Rep. Thomas R. Caltagirone; LD 138 in Northampton County of Rep. Craig A. Dally; and LD 187 in Berks and Lehigh Counties of Rep. Carl W. Mantz.