A new poll found that an overwhelming majority of U.S. voters either “strongly” or “somewhat” support a nationwide mask mandate.
The Hill/HarrisX survey released Monday found 82% of voters offered support for the idea, while just 18% of respondents said they either “strongly” or “somewhat” oppose a national face mask order.
Among Democrats, 93% said they support a mandate, and 85% of independent voters said the same. Sixty-six percent of Republicans offered support for the idea. In total, a majority of voters, 61%, said they strongly support the measure, while 21% said they somewhat support doing so.
“The idea of a national face mask mandate is supported by an overwhelming majority of voters and is less of a partisan issue than you would think,” said Dritan Nesho, CEO and chief researcher at HarrisX. “Two-thirds of Republicans and over eight in 10 independents and nine in 10 Democrats are in favor of it.”
The poll was conducted online from July 26-27 and surveyed 948 registered voters. Of the voters surveyed, 37% identified as Democrats, 32% as Republicans, 29% as independents, and 2% as others. The poll has a 3.18-point margin of error.
A Politico/Morning Consult poll conducted in mid-July found that 72% of voters either “strongly” or “somewhat” support states issuing orders that require face masks to be worn in public under penalty of fine or jail time. That poll also found majority support across the political spectrum.
President Trump recently endorsed the face coverings as “patriotic.” He has also been spotted wearing a mask in public.
“We are United in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President!” he wrote in a July 20 tweet.
