NH Pistol License Poll Results
This is a follow up release after today’s press conference and contains the actual poll results!
Recently, both the Senate and the House passed Senate Bill 116 which makes the pistol license optional in the state of New Hampshire for those legally able to possess and purchase firearms at both the state and federal level.
Most voters are unaware of the historical reasons a pistol license was put into place in New Hampshire and do realize that the state-sanctioned discrimination it created continues today.
833 registered New Hampshire voters were interviewed from May 18 to 22, 2015. The margin of sampling error is +/-3.4%. Included were 294 Democrats; 343 Republicans and 296 Undeclared. 100% of interviews for the poll were conducted over the phone. There was a total of 6 questions asked throughout each county in New Hampshire; following is a summary of the findings:
- A super majority of registered voters agree that a person should be able to defend themselves with a firearm across the board.
- Vermont does not have a pistol licensing law and has never had one yet they continue to have a lower crime rate than New Hampshire. A majority of registered voters agree that Vermont’s lack of a pistol license law discourages crime with others believing it has no effect and a small percentage that believes it promotes crime.
- When registered voters were told why the current pistol license law was set up – “to bar union member Irish and Italian immigrants and their families from possessing a concealed firearm” and that the law still allowed police to use their own judgement for suitability based on this law, over 71% opposed allowing this to continue.
- Registered voters also believe women in emergency situations shouldn’t have to wait 14 days to get their pistol license and they also don’t agree that the current pistol license law does anything to stop criminals from carrying concealed.
- Finally, a super majority of registered voters doesn’t believe that money from a few wealthy out-of-state people should be influencing gun control measures in New Hampshire.
- In conclusion, it appears that registered voters from across the state and across party lines all agree by an overwhelming majority that Granite Staters should not only have the right to defend themselves with a firearm but they shouldn’t be subject to the current pistol license law due to their overwhelming agreement that local police shouldn’t decide who is “suitable.”
- Below are the questions in their entirety listed in chronological order of how they were asked along with the results and breakdown of the demographics.
The poll results can be found here.
If you have any questions, please contact our Media Group at [email protected]
INTERVIEWS: Susan Olsen, Legislative Director
Phone: 603-748-4068
Web: www.womensdefenseleaguenh.com
Email: M[email protected]
Women’s Defense League of New Hampshire
[email protected]
www.womensdefenseleaguenh.com