Poll: Two-thirds say gun policy is important to their vote

Two-thirds of Americans say a candidate must agree with their views on gun policy to earn their vote, according to a poll released Sunday. 

The CBS News poll, conducted by YouGov from March 19-21, found 66 percent of respondents believe a candidate must share their views on guns. The other 34 percent said a candidate can hold differing views on gun legislation and still earn their vote.

{mosads}Sixty-eight percent of Republicans and the same percentage of Democrats said a candidate must share their views on guns. Sixty-five percent of independents said they would only vote for a candidate with similar views on the issue, according to the poll.

The poll was released one day after hundreds of thousands of people took part in the “March for Our Lives” in Washington, D.C., and other cities across the country. The event called for stricter gun laws and an end to gun violence.

Students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., organized the rally following a Feb. 14 shooting there that left 17 people dead.

The CBS News poll found 47 percent of respondents supported the students’ efforts to rally for an end to gun violence, while 27 percent opposed their efforts.