A new poll from Orion Strategies shows likely voters in West Virginia largely support universal background checks for all gun purchases.
“We found 75% of all respondents believe that universal background criminal and mental checks should be mandatory in order to purchase a firearm from any location,” Curtis Wilkerson with Orion Strategies said of the results on Wednesday’s MetroNews Talkline.
Those poll numbers come as U.S. Senate leaders continue to work on gun control legislation on Capitol Hill.
According to the survey, a total of 63% of West Virginia households have a gun compared with 41% nationally.
That is only one topic, though, covered in the wide ranging poll.
In a hypothetical matchup between Hillary Clinton and an unnamed Republican candidate for the 2016 Presidential Election, Clinton leads 39% to 30% with the rest undecided.
“We just found it to be interesting to educate some folks out there about answering that question that has been circulating in the minds of a number of people within the Democratic Party and others who had wondered, what if she had been the nominee in 2008?”
Other results from the poll of from Orion Strategies are as follows:
- 30% of respondents said they believe civil unions between homosexual couples should be legalized in West Virginia, while 62% were against it
- 27% said marijuana should be legalized
- 59% want to see the death penalty reinstated
- 55% agree with the decision from the U.S. military to allow female soldiers to serve in combat zones, 38% disagree
- 72% of the respondents are in favor of West Virginia University and Marshall University continuing the Friends of Coal Bowl
- 30% have smartphones and 42% use social media and, of those people, 77% are using it daily or more than daily
- On MTV’s Buckwild, 80% said they had heard of the reality show, of those people, 43% have watched it and 13% of those people felt that it accurately portrayed West Virginia
- 71% said they think the law that pushes back beer and wine sales on Sunday in West Virginia to after 1 p.m. should stand
Orion Strategies conducted the survey through live telephone interviews with 305 historic, likely voters in West Virginia between March 13th and 15th.
The margin of effort was 5.6%.
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Comments
Mike
"305 historic voters." Our population is ~ 1.8 million and you actually think these results reflect the opinions of West Virginians? Sadly, the 305 historic voters are probably the same ones who voted for Obama and Joe.
March 20, 2013 at 2:15 pm | Report comment
Machine Ghandi
Well Mike, that's 304 more people that was surveyed compared to your opinion.
March 20, 2013 at 2:32 pm | Report comment
Mike
Let me guess Machine Ghandi.......You voted for Obama and Joe, right?
March 20, 2013 at 2:36 pm | Report comment
C.Hoffman
Curtis Wilkerson is a democratic strategist. Orion Strategies has been quoted in Salon & Daily Kos. He was a clinton sycophant in 08. And apparently still is based on the article. Keep up the unbiased reporting!sarc on.
March 20, 2013 at 2:36 pm | Report comment
Scott
Statistically speaking, with any population above 20,000, a sample of 300 will give a about a 5.66% margin of error, which is close to the typical confidence level widely accepted in statistical research. If they had polled 384 people, that would've been an exact 5% margin of error.
So, statistically speaking, a sample of 305 can be statistically representative of WV. However, I'd be curious to know how they selected their sample, as that could have ramifications that we aren't aware of.
March 20, 2013 at 2:46 pm | Report comment
Charles
Stupid poll. No way reflects all the population.
March 20, 2013 at 3:36 pm | Report comment
GregG
Wish they would have called me. I would have gave them a big NO on the Help Marshall Sell Tickets Bowl!!
March 20, 2013 at 4:31 pm | Report comment
Jephre
I second that motion, Greg.
March 21, 2013 at 10:22 pm | Report comment
j
I am guessing those were all members of the manchin family based in Marion county.
March 20, 2013 at 4:43 pm | Report comment
thornton
Polls are mindless and a waste, as would be another FOC Bowl.
March 20, 2013 at 5:40 pm | Report comment
WVU GRAD
According to sources, the entire sample came from Cabell county.
March 20, 2013 at 6:34 pm | Report comment
EPWVLaw
"The margin of effort was 5.6%"?
I think you meant to say "margin of error."
March 20, 2013 at 7:15 pm | Report comment
WVIRGINIAN FOR LIFE
Very few people in our county have landline phones. Most have cell phones now. So how did they reach cell phone users? The polls results are inaccurate and/or skewed. What a joke.
March 20, 2013 at 7:16 pm | Report comment
wvman75
In my opinion, every gun law is unconstitutional. The Founders were smart. Very smart. They included the Second Amendment as our protection against the central government, should it become oppressive and impede on our liberties as citizens. Like I said, they were smart. Smart enough not to turn around and give that very same government the authority to regulate that protection. That would, in itself, violate the intent of the Amendment. They were much smarter than that.
March 20, 2013 at 7:49 pm | Report comment
Jim
A hypothetical question & answer: In Johnny's neighborhood, each day he goes to the local park to play, he gets beat up. What should he do to keep from getting beat up each trip to the park? Answer, stay home! The same advice for Marshal.
March 20, 2013 at 8:17 pm | Report comment
jeremy
I'm calling B.S. on this poll.
March 20, 2013 at 10:24 pm | Report comment
jeremy
As a matter of fact. I called sen. Manchin's office last week with a question they refused to answer. "Have you received an influx of calls from Wv demanding mandatory background checks?". Instead, they sent me a form letter.
March 20, 2013 at 10:34 pm | Report comment