Robert Haughn
A new poll found mixed support for explosive Fourth of July celebrations in the Sunshine State.
The FAU Political Communication and Public Opinion Research Lab (PolCom) asked 961 Florida voters their opinions on regulating fireworks use and found opinions split. Twenty-seven percent said fireworks should not be allowed at all, while an equal number believed they should be legal, but said their use should be restricted to certain hours.
Additionally, 22% of voters said that they are fine with fireworks if used responsibly. Only 5% of voters said that there should be no restrictions on fireworks use, and 19% of voters had no strong opinion on the issue.
The poll also broke down these results by various demographics, such as political party, ethnicity, age and gender.
Democrats were more likely to favor restrictions than Republicans, 31%- 23%. Republican voters were the most likely to say fireworks shouldn’t face any restrictions (7%) and that they were fine with fireworks so long as they were used responsibly (26%).
Women were more likely to favor restrictions than men, with 27% saying they shouldn’t be allowed at all compared to 24% of men. About 1 in 3 voters over 50 said fireworks should not be allowed — the most of any subgroup — and around 21% of voters under 50 agreed. By race, White voters were more likely to favor outlawing fireworks, with 32% support, followed by Hispanic voters at 25% and Black voters at 19%.
“Fireworks are a long-standing tradition for celebrations across the world, and here in the U.S. they are ubiquitous to American patriotism,” said Robert E. Gutsche Jr., PolCom’s strategic lead and an associate professor at FAU.
“Around neighborhoods and across communities, there is always some feeling of apprehension about fireworks and their effects on pets, sleeping children and wildlife. It’s one of those things we may complain about but also recognize as being a symbol of unity.”
The results are part of a larger PolCom survey on how voters feel — “from joy and pride to sadness and fear,” the pollster teased — about their party’s presidential nominee. The full poll drops on Wednesday.
