Almost 7 in 10 Florida Republicans think Jacksonville convention will be safe: poll

Almost 7 in 10 Florida Republicans say they think the GOP convention scheduled to take place in Jacksonville, Fla., next month will be safe, according to a poll released Thursday. 

The survey from Quinnipiac University Poll found that 69 percent of Republicans in Florida surveyed say it will be safe to host the convention in their state, compared to 8 percent of Democrats and 29 percent of independents. A total of 26 percent of Republicans designated the convention as unsafe, with 89 percent of Democrats and 66 percent of independents agreeing. 

Overall, 34 percent of registered voters surveyed considered holding the GOP convention safe, compared to 62 percent who said it will be unsafe. 

A total of 70 percent of Republicans polled said the spread of coronavirus in Florida is a “serious problem,” while 52 percent said the spread is “under control.”

Among Democrats surveyed, 97 percent said the spread was a serious problem, and 97 percent also said it was “out of control.” Independents’ opinions lined up closely with the overall results; 82 percent of registered voters polled labeled coronavirus a serious problem and 70 percent said it was “out of control.”

When it comes to face masks, most registered voters polled, 79 percent, said the state should mandate masks in public, a step several other states have taken. This included 95 percent of Democrats, 60 percent of Republicans and 79 percent of independents.

A total of 81 percent of respondents said they believe masks are effective in slowing COVID-19 spread, including 93 percent of Democrats, 68 percent of Republicans and 81 percent of independents. 

The Quinnipiac University Poll survey included 924 registered voters and was conducted between July 16 and 20. The margin of error amounted to 3.2 percentage points.

The Republican National Convention has scheduled programming in Jacksonville every night between Aug. 24 and Aug. 27. Republicans announced last week that they would scale down the convention by limiting crowds to 2,500 people for most events and to about 6,000 to 7,000 people for Trump’s acceptance of the GOP nomination on the final night. 

Still, Jacksonville officials have expressed concerns about the convention plans, including Duval County Sheriff Mike Williams (R), who called the GOP’s current plans “not achievable right now” and insufficient. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry (R) has backed up the sheriff’s assessment.

Republicans moved the convention to Jacksonville from Charlotte, N.C., after disagreements with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) over coronavirus restrictions.