19 Point Gap Between Pivot , Democratic Counties on Guns

Eight of Maine’s 16 counties are Pivot Counties that voted twice for Barack Obama and then voted for Donald Trump. Forty-four percent of all Maine voters live in a Pivot County, a higher percentage than any other state. Combined with the fact that a series of statewide ballot initiatives was on the 2016 ballot, this creates a unique opportunity to explore the differing attitudes between Pivot County voters and others.

The biggest gap was found on Question 3, concerning background checks for firearm sales and transfers. Statewide, 48 percent of voters supported the initiative. However, in Pivot Counties, the initiative attracted just 38 percent support. In the state’s seven solidly Democratic counties, 57 percent voted in favor of background checks. That 19-point gap was the largest found of any of the ballot issues.

There is only one solidly Republican county in Maine, and it accounted for fewer than 10,000 votes.

The smallest gap between the Pivot Counties and Democratic counties was found on a measure that would have increased taxes on high-income residents and used the funds for public education. That was supported by 49 percent of Pivot County voters and 52 percent of those living in solidly Democratic counties.

Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia. Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.

Scott Rasmussen is a Senior Fellow for the Study of Self-Governance at the King’s College in New York and an Editor-At-Large for Ballotpedia, the Encyclopedia of American Politics. His most recent book, "Politics Has Failed: America Will Not," was published by the Sutherland Institute in May.To read more of his reports — Click Here Now.