Strong Public Support for
Background Checks
In 2021, the Oregon Alliance for Gun Safety commissioned a survey of 600 Oregon voters statewide to learn more about how the public feels about gun violence. The survey results provide a statistical snapshot of voters' attitudes. This scientific survey, which included both phone and online interviews, was conducted by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3), an independent research organization.
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Below are key findings from this survey.
OREGON VOTERS ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE
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Of the voters interviewed, 85% said they were concerned about the current level of gun violence. This includes 36% who said they were "extremely concerned," 28% who said they were "very concerned," and 21% who said they were "somewhat concerned."
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Only 15% of Oregon voters surveyed said they were "not too concerned" about the level of gun violence these days.
BROAD SUPPORT FOR BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR GUN SALES
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Fully 81% of voters surveyed said they support requiring a buyer to have a completed background check before a gun sale is completed.
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When we compare households with a gun to those without a gun, we continue to find very strong support for background checks. In households with a gun, 77% of Oregon voters support requiring completed background checks. And in households where there are no guns, fully 96% of voters support background checks.
ABOUT BACKGROUND CHECKS
Background checks identify people who are ineligible to purchase a gun because of criminal conviction history or other reasons and prevent those individuals from obtaining firearms. This process is a critical step in preventing unnecessary and tragic gun deaths in Oregon and around the country.​
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But a loophole in current Oregon law allows people to purchase a firearm without completing a background check if the check takes more than three days.
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Oregon Alliance for Gun Safety supports proposals to require all background checks to be fully completed before an individual is allowed to purchase a firearm.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
More information on background checks is available online from Giffords Law Center.