Voters Strongly Endorse Fines, Ban on Interstate Travel

Voters are turning hardline in the face of the coronavirus. Two-out-of-three now want to ban travel between states and fine those who violate social distancing guidelines.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 67% of Likely U.S. Voters favor banning all out-of-state travelers from entering their state except for emergencies until the coronavirus threat has ended. Twenty-one percent (21%) are opposed, while 12% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

A growing number of states are now requiring out-of-state visitors to self-quarantine for two weeks, with some considering a total ban on interstate travel. Many states have issued stay-at-home orders severely limiting travel outside the home.

Similarly, 68% of voters favor handing out fines in their community to those who are not following social distancing guidelines. Twenty percent (20%) are opposed, and 12% are not sure. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is the first major official to implement such a policy, ordering city police to levy fines ranging from $250 to $500 for those who violate social distancing.

Interestingly, there is virtually no difference of opinion on either question among Democrats, Republicans and voters not affiliated with either major political party.

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted March 31-April 1, 2020 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Eighty percent (80%) of Americans agreed in mid-March with the federal government’s decision to temporarily ban travelers from China and nearly all European countries to prevent the possible spread of coronavirus.

Women and men are in general agreement, although women are bigger fans of banning travel between states.

Younger voters are the biggest supporters of both a ban on interstate travel and fines for failing to observe social distancing guidelines. But support is high among those of all ages.

Seventy-five percent (75%) of voters who favor a ban on out-of-state travelers also support fines for failing to honor social distancing guidelines. Among those opposed to banning travel between states, only 53% agree with social distancing fines.

Voters question how long the United States can remain locked down because of the coronavirus, and most share President Trump’s worry that the government may go too far in its efforts to defeat the disease.

One-third of all Americans say they or someone in their close family is now unemployed thanks to the coronavirus. A whopping nine-out-of-10 are worried about the virus hitting them in the pocketbook.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

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