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.
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.
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.
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.