New Poll Shows Strong Support for Gun Safety Measures in Minnesota

A new poll shows that voters across Minnesota strongly support a wide range of gun violence prevention policies.

Click to download the survey results. Highlights include:

• 92 percent of likely voters in Minnesota support universal background checks. This includes 86 percent of gun owners and 92 percent of people in suburban/exurban communities of the Twin Cities.

• 86 percent of Minnesota voters support emergency protection orders, sometimes referred to as “Red Flag" laws, that allow a petitioner to seek a temporary suspension of a person’s access to a gun if a court determines they are a danger to themselves or others. This policy receives support from 78 percent of gun owners.

• 82 percent of Minnesotans support increasing state funding for community-based organizations that work to support victims of gun violence and develop violence intervention programs. This includes 76 percent of gun owners, and 84 percent in the state’s suburban/exurban communities.

Funded by The Joyce Foundation and the George Family Foundation, this poll sought a deeper understanding of how Minnesotans view gun laws.

These policies are vitally important in the communities we serve. Data show that, between 2008 and 2017, nearly 4,000 Minnesotans lost their lives to gun violence, including more than 3,100 to suicide by a firearm. With this year’s record gun sales, we believe it’s important to consider: will those numbers go down – or up?

There is clear evidence showing that many gun policies, such as expanded background checks and “red flag” laws, are effective in reducing gun violence.

With broad support among voters for laws that have proven effective, how will lawmakers respond to ensure that some of these policies become law in Minnesota?