Over half (54 percent) of Wyoming residents now say they support allowing adults in Wyoming to legally possess marijuana for personal use. This continues the steady increase in support observed from 2014, 2016 and 2018, when support rose from 37 percent to 41 percent to 49 percent, respectively.

Looking across age groups, there is a clear pattern of younger age groups expressing more support for marijuana legalization. This support decreases as age increases — this observed pattern is a statistically significant trend.

There is popular support among younger Wyoming residents, with a majority of 18- to 24-year-olds (67 percent), 25- to 34-year-olds (74 percent), 35- to 44-year-olds (68 percent) and 55- to 64-year-olds (51 percent) supporting legalization. Support for legalization falls below a majority of those aged 45-55 (45 percent), 65-74 (40 percent) and 75-older (30 percent).

According to Rodney Wambeam, a senior research scientist at WYSAC, the support for recreational marijuana use reflects a decrease in the perceived risk or harm related to the drug.

“Despite the increasing dangers of marijuana use, such as addiction or drugged driving, young people in particular seem to view marijuana as a safe and natural alternative to alcohol or other illicit drugs,” Wambeam says.

As was the case in 2018, a large majority (85 percent) of Wyoming residents say they support the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes if a doctor prescribes it. This has remained steady from 2018, when 86 percent reported that they support this.

Three-quarters of Wyoming residents (75 percent) believe that people convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana should not serve time in jail. This has increased from 69 percent in 2018 and from 66 percent in 2014.

“As laws regarding the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana change around the U.S., especially in nearby states, it’s not surprising to see attitudes in Wyoming change as well,” says Brian Harnisch, senior research scientist at WYSAC. “In all bordering states except Idaho, marijuana or medical marijuana has been legalized to some extent or decriminalized.”

The statewide survey was conducted Oct. 8-29, yielding 614 responses from randomly selected Wyoming citizens. The margin of error for the distribution of responses on any individual survey question is plus or minus 4 percentage points. Men and women from all age groups are represented, and all counties in Wyoming are proportionally represented in the survey sample. The final survey data have been weighted to reflect the actual population distribution in Wyoming on these key demographic characteristics.

Both landline and cellular telephone numbers were randomly generated for the study, resulting in 82 percent of completed surveys on cell phones. The survey is funded by WYSAC and UW’s School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies.

Complete survey results are available at: https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/reports/View/6710.

The survey was conducted Monday, Nov. 2, as cases continued to see record highs statewide.

Almost half of Wyomingites say they’re very or fairly anxious about the spread of COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 8 percentage points from October and an increase of 15 percentage points from September. Another 24 percent say they are somewhat anxious about the spread in Wyoming. Just over 30 percent of Wyoming residents say they are not at all anxious about the spread in Wyoming, a decrease of 11 percentage points since October.

While 44 percent say the worst is yet to come in the United States, 50 percent say the worst is yet to come here in Wyoming — an increase of 11 percentage points since October and 21 percentage points since September.

“Anxiety about the spread of COVID-19 in Wyoming has returned to levels not seen since March,” says Brian Harnisch, senior research scientist in charge of the project at WYSAC. “At the same time, we see just over two-thirds of Wyomingites now reporting that they are wearing a mask in indoor public places all or most of the time. Other research has shown that this number is still likely the lowest in the nation.”

The survey is the 10th of multiple surveys WYSAC is conducting to measure public opinion on a number of topics related to COVID-19. A total of 465 Wyoming residents participated in the survey representing all Wyoming counties, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

Other findings from the latest survey:

— Over 60 percent of Wyomingites now say they would strongly or somewhat support an ordinance requiring people in their community to wear face masks when visiting indoor public places. Thirty percent say they strongly or somewhat oppose such an ordinance.

— A majority, 69 percent, of Wyomingites say they always or often wear face protection when in indoor public places. Alternatively, 19 percent say they rarely or never wear masks, a decrease of 5 points since October.

— Over a third, 38 percent, of Wyomingites say they are very or somewhat unlikely to get a vaccine for COVID-19 if one becomes available.

— Of those who say they are very or somewhat unlikely to get a vaccine for COVID-19, 70 percent cite a concern about potential side-effects as a major reason. Over half say that a major reason is that they do not think they need it, while 59 percent say a major reason they are unlikely to get the vaccine is they would like to see how well it works first.

— Almost half, 45 percent, of Wyomingites report that they have already received the flu vaccine for this season, while one-third of residents say they are somewhat or very unlikely to get the flu vaccine this year.

— Those who describe COVID-19 as a “real threat” stand at 53 percent, up 6 points from October, while 39 percent say it is “blown out of proportion,” down 6 points.

— Approval of the way Gov. Mark Gordon is handling the COVID-19 crisis remained steady, with 60 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way he is handling things. His net approval rating is at plus 24 points.

— A majority, 65 percent, say they trust the information they hear from the governor about COVID-19 a great deal or a good amount.

— Approval of the way President Donald Trump is handling the COVID-19 has remained steady, with 54 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way he is handling things. President Trump’s net approval rating is at plus 10.3 points.

— Less than half (47 percent) of Wyoming residents say they trust the information they hear from Trump about COVID-19 a great deal or a good amount.

— Just over a third, 34 percent, of Wyomingites say they trust the information they hear from Joe Biden about COVID-19 a great deal or a good amount.

— A large majority, 70 percent, say they trust the information they hear from their local government officials about COVID-19 a great deal or a good amount.

— Approval of the way Congress is handling the COVID-19 crisis remains low, with just 21 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way Congress is handling things, resulting in a net approval rating of minus 51 points.

To see the survey methodology, chart, figures and complete survey results, go to https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/reports/View/6708

The survey was conducted Oct. 6, around the time when Wyoming was in the early stages of the current COVID-19 surge.

Over one-third of Wyomingites say they’re very or fairly anxious about the spread of COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 7 percentage points from September, but still 4 points less than the Aug. 10 survey. Another 20 percent say they are somewhat anxious about the spread in Wyoming, while just over 40 percent of Wyoming residents say they are not at all anxious about the spread in Wyoming.

While just over one-third of Wyomingites say the worst is yet to come in the United States, 39 percent say the worst is yet to come in Wyoming — an increase of 10 percentage points since September. Only 17 percent think the worst is behind us, a decrease of 9 points.

A majority, 53 percent, of Wyoming residents say they have confidence in the Wyoming health care system to handle the response to COVID-19, while 29 percent say they do not have confidence.

“Despite an increase in anxiety surrounding COVID-19 in Wyoming, we see self-reported facemask use remain steady at just over 60 percent of the state population,” says Brian Harnisch, senior research scientist in charge of the project at WYSAC. “This compares to roughly 85 percent of the national population that say they have worn a mask or covering all or most of the time when in stores or other businesses.”

The survey is the ninth of multiple surveys WYSAC is conducting to measure public opinion on a number of topics related to COVID-19. A total of 505 Wyoming residents participated in the survey representing all Wyoming counties, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Other findings from the latest survey:

— Those who describe COVID-19 as a “real threat” stand at 47 percent, up 2 points from September, while 46 percent say it is “blown out of proportion,” down 2 points.

— Just under two-thirds, 65 percent, of Wyomingites say they are very or somewhat concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on their personal finances.

— A slight majority, 55 percent, say they support a limit on public gatherings as a policy to slow the spread of COVID-19, an increase of 4.4 points since September. Alternatively, just 21 percent say they support the closure of K-12 schools, and 19 percent support the closure of daycare centers, a decrease of 7 points each since September.

— A majority, 61 percent, of Wyomingites say they always or often wear a facemask when in indoor public places. Alternatively, 24 percent say they rarely or never wear a mask.

— Approval of the way Gov. Mark Gordon is handling the COVID-19 crisis declined, with 60 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way he is handling things — a decrease of 6 percentage points.  His net approval rating is at plus 24.7 points.

— A large majority, 71 percent, say they trust the information they hear from the governor about COVID-19 a great deal or a good amount.

— Approval of the way President Donald Trump is handling the COVID-19 has remained steady, with 55 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way he is handling things. President Trump’s net approval rating is at plus 11.7 points.

— Exactly half (50 percent) of Wyoming residents say they trust the information they hear from Trump about COVID-19 a great deal or a good amount.

— Regarding the way local government and health officials are handling the COVID-19 crisis, 64 percent say they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way they are handling things, resulting in a net approval rating of plus 32.7 points.

— A large majority, 73 percent, say they trust the information they hear from their local government officials about COVID-19 a great deal or a good amount.

— Approval of the way Congress is handling the COVID-19 crisis remains low, with just 19 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way Congress is handling things, resulting in a net approval rating of minus 53.8 points.

To see the survey methodology, chart, figures and complete survey results, download the full report: https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/reports/View/6706

The survey was conducted Sept. 8, about a week before Wyoming hit all-time highs in the daily number of new confirmed cases of the infection.

Just 30.4 percent of Wyomingites say they’re very or fairly anxious about the spread of COVID-19 in the state, down 11.3 percent from the Aug. 10 survey. Likewise, those who are very or somewhat worried someone in their immediate family might catch COVID-19 dropped 8.6 points to 51 percent.

Regarding attendance at outdoor public events, 54 percent say they would be extremely or somewhat comfortable with groups of up to 250 people, with 52 percent extremely or somewhat comfortable with groups of over 250. Those percentages increased by 8 and 9 percentage points, respectively, from Aug. 10.

Additionally, the percentages of people who support state government policies to slow the spread of COVID-19 decreased across the board. Just 28.5 percent support closing K-12 schools, down 4.4 percent from Aug. 10; 26.4 percent support closing day care centers, down 5 percent; 26.4 percent support closing restaurants and bars, down 6.5 percent; and 19.9 percent support shelter-in-place orders, down 1.6 percent.

A slim majority, 51 percent, support state limits on public gatherings, but that’s down 7.7 percent from Aug. 10. And 52 percent still support local ordinances requiring people to wear face protection in indoor public places, but that’s down from 60 percent in August.

At the same time, 62 percent of Wyomingites say they always or often wear face protection in indoor public places, down just 4 percent from Aug. 10 and higher than the 48 percent figure recorded in mid-July.

“It is clear from these numbers that the level of discomfort and concern about COVID-19 declined between Aug. 10 and Sept. 8, but people are still doing things to avoid the virus — such as wearing face protection, eating out less and washing their hands more frequently,” says Brian Harnisch, senior research scientist in charge of the project at WYSAC. “Still, it’s worth noting that the percentages of people taking those actions have declined.”

The survey is the eighth of multiple surveys WYSAC is conducting to measure public opinion on a number of topics related to COVID-19. A total of 503 Wyoming residents participated in the survey representing all Wyoming counties, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Other findings from the latest survey:

— The percentages of people who think “the worst is behind us” (29.6 percent) and “the worst is yet to come” (31.9 percent) with COVID-19 in the U.S. are almost identical, with 20.8 percent unsure. In August, 42.3 percent though the worst was yet to come.

— Those who describe COVID-19 as a “real threat” stand at 45.2 percent, down 7.6 points from August, while 47.4 percent say it is “blown out of proportion,” up 8.3 percent.

— Approval of the way Gov. Mark Gordon is handling the COVID-19 crisis remains high, with 67 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way he is handling things. Gordon’s net approval rating (approval minus disapproval) is at plus 37.6 percent.

— Approval of the way President Donald Trump is handling the COVID-19 has increased since July, with 56 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way he is handling things. President Trump’s net approval rating is at plus 18.1 points, up 16.1 points since July.

— Regarding the way local government and health officials are handling the COVID-19 crisis, 63 percent say they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way they are handling things.

— Approval of the way Congress is handling the COVID-19 crisis remains low, with just 15 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way Congress is handling things and 76 percent saying they disapprove.

To see the survey methodology, chart, figures and complete survey results, view the complete report: https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/reports/View/6703

Fifty-seven percent of residents say they are extremely or somewhat comfortable with attending outdoor events with up to 250 people in Wyoming this summer or fall. On the other hand, 33 percent say they are somewhat or extremely uncomfortable.

When considering events with more than 250 people, 52 percent of Wyomingites say they are extremely or somewhat comfortable attending. Alternatively, 38 percent say they are somewhat or extremely uncomfortable attending outdoor events of this size.

The survey, conducted Monday, June 8, is the fifth of multiple surveys WYSAC is conducting to measure public opinion on a number of topics related to COVID-19. A total of 498 Wyoming residents participated in the survey representing all Wyoming counties, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

“Moving forward, we will start measuring what factors will make more Wyoming residents feel comfortable attending outdoor events this year,” says Brian Harnisch, senior research scientist in charge of the project at WYSAC. “We hope this information will prove useful to not only state and local health officials, but also to event organizers around the state.”

Here are some of the latest survey’s key findings:

— A quarter of Wyoming residents say they are not changing their daily routine specifically because of COVID-19, and increase of 9 points from one month ago.

— Over half (58 percent) of residents say they are not attending public gatherings, a decrease of 12 percentage points since May. Fifty-eight percent also say they are washing their hands more frequently, a decrease of 8 points. A 10-point decrease was observed in those who say they are avoiding physical contact with others, going from 68 percent in May to 58 percent at present.

— One-quarter of Wyoming residents say they always wear masks when in indoor public spaces, contrasting with 28 percent who say they never wear masks when in those spaces.

— Thirty-eight percent of residents say it is very likely that they will be vaccinated for COVID-19 if it becomes available, a decrease of 11 points from one month ago. Just over a quarter (26 percent) say it is very unlikely that they will get the vaccine.

— Fewer people are reporting difficulty purchasing household items, with 36 percent saying they have had difficulty in the past two weeks, a decrease of 15 points from a month ago. Similarly, 33 percent say they have experienced difficulty purchasing groceries or other food they wanted, a decrease of 13 points from a month ago.

— Approval of the way Gov. Mark Gordon is handling the COVID-19 crisis remains high, with 70 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way he is handling things. Gordon’s net approval rating (approval minus disapproval) is at plus 46 percent.

— Approval of the way President Donald Trump is handling the COVID-19 crisis has remained steady, with 56 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way he is handling things. Trump’s net approval rating a plus 17 points.

— Regarding the way local government and health officials are handling the COVID-19 crisis, 68 percent say they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way they are handling things. The net approval for these entities is at plus 42 percentage points, a decrease of 4 points from two weeks ago.

— Approval of the way Congress is handling the COVID-19 crisis decreased 3 percentage points, with 32 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way Congress is handling things. The net approval rating for Congress is minus 26 percentage points.

To see the survey methodology, chart, figures, and complete survey results, download the full report: https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/reports/View/6694

Over two-thirds (70 percent) of Wyoming residents say they support the closure of K-12 schools, down from 85 percent at the end of March. Some 59 percent support the closure of bars and restaurants, down from 82 percent in March. And 39 percent of Wyomingites say they support a “shelter-in-place” order, down from 44 percent two weeks ago and 54 percent at the end of March.

“While we do see majority support for all policies other than a shelter-in-place order, support for all policies has declined steadily since we started collecting data in March,” says Brian Harnisch, senior research scientist in charge of the project at WYSAC. “Additionally, the only preventative measure that Wyomingites say they are taking that increased from two weeks ago is the use of PPE such as masks and gloves, while nearly all other types of preventative behaviors showed a decrease from the last iteration.”

The survey, conducted Monday, May 11, is the fourth of multiple surveys WYSAC is conducting to measure public opinion on a number of topics related to COVID-19. A total of 473 Wyoming residents participated in the survey representing all Wyoming counties, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

Here are the numbers regarding major policies to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, compared to two weeks ago:

— 70 percent say they support the closure of K-12 schools, a decrease of 6 percentage points.

— 62 percent say they support the closure of daycare centers, a decrease of 5 percentage points.

— 59 percent say they support the closure of restaurants and bars, a decrease of 5 percentage points.

— 67 percent say they support the limiting of public gatherings, a decrease of 7 percentage points.

— 39 percent say they support a “shelter-in-place” order, a decrease of 5 percentage points.

Here are some of the new survey’s other key findings:

— The number of people in Wyoming who say they are not changing their daily routine due to COVID-19 has increased 3 percentage points from two weeks ago to 15 percent. The number of people who say they have changed their daily routine a lot has decreased 5 percentage points to 43 percent, while 42 percent say they have changed their routine a little.

— A majority of Wyoming residents (51 percent) now say they wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks or gloves in public spaces, representing the only increase in precautions taken by Wyoming residents to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

— Large decreases occurred for those reporting that they are declining visits from friends and family (39 percent, a decrease of 7 points), and for avoiding houses of worship (39 percent, a decrease of 7 points).

— Fewer people report that they are not attending public gatherings (70 percent, a decrease of 5 points), eating out less (67 percent, a decrease of 4 points) and spending more time at home (69 percent, a decrease of 4 points).

— Approval of the way Gov. Mark Gordon is handling the COVID-19 crisis remains high, with 74 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way he is handling things. Gordon’s net approval rating (approval minus disapproval) remains high at plus 50 percentage points.

— Approval of the way President Donald Trump is handling the COVID-19 crisis decreased slightly again, with 57 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way he is handling things. President Trump’s net approval rating decreased by 3.7 percentage points to plus 17 points.

— Regarding the way local government and health officials are handling the COVID-19 crisis, 70 percent say they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way they are handling things — reflecting a 7 percentage point decrease from two weeks ago. The net approval for this group is at plus 46 percentage points, a decrease of 13 points from two weeks ago.

— Approval of the way Congress is handling the COVID-19 crisis decreased 7 percentage points, with 35 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way Congress is handling things. The net approval rating for congress is minus 12 percentage points.

— Over a third (35 percent) of Wyoming residents say they are very anxious or fairly anxious about the spread of COVID-19 in Wyoming. Another 33 percent say they are somewhat anxious, while 32 percent say they are not at all anxious.

— Nearly a quarter (23 percent) of Wyoming residents say that COVID-19 is not likely to be a major problem in Wyoming, while 22 percent say the worst is behind us. Some 39 percent of residents say that the worst is yet to come.

— While the proportion of Wyoming residents who think COVID-19 is a real threat remained steady at 54 percent, the number who say it is blown out of proportion increased 4 points to 40 percent, while those who are unsure decrease 4 points to 6 percent.

— More Wyoming residents report that they are very unlikely to get a vaccine for COVID-19 if one becomes available, with 23 percent saying this is the case, an increase of 4 points. Additionally, 12 percent say it is somewhat unlikely, an increase of 4 points. Nearly half (49 percent) say they are very likely to get a vaccine, while 17 percent say they are somewhat likely.

To see the survey methodology, chart, figures and complete survey results, download the issue brief: https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/reports/View/6693

Of the roughly one-third of Wyomingites who say they or someone in their immediate family has lost their jobs, 64 percent say it’s likely those jobs or employment will return. Of the over half of Wyomingites who say they or someone in their immediate family have seen reductions in hours or pay, 73 percent are optimistic those hours or wages will be restored.

The survey, conducted Monday, April 27, is the third of multiple surveys WYSAC is conducting to measure public opinion on a number of topics related to COVID-19. A total of 496 Wyoming residents participated in the survey representing all Wyoming counties, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

“While most Wyoming residents continue to take the situation seriously, fewer residents are reporting that they are taking preventative measures,” says Brian Harnisch, senior research scientist in charge of the project at WYSAC. “While we do see an increase to nearly half of residents saying they now wear personal protective items in public places, we also see a decline in the number of people avoiding physical contact or turning down visits from friends or family, for example.”

Here are some of this survey’s key findings:

— Of those who report that they or someone in their family has been laid off or lost their jobs (35 percent), 64 percent say it is likely that the jobs or employment will return. Twenty percent say it is unlikely, while 17 percent are unsure if the jobs will return.

— Of those who report that they or someone in their family has seen work hours or pay reduced (57 percent), 73 percent say it is likely that these hours or pay will be restored. Fifteen percent say it is unlikely, while 12 percent are unsure if these hours or pay will be restored.

— Approval of the way Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon is handling the COVID-19 crisis remains high, with 75 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way he is handling things. Gordon’s net approval rating (approval minus disapproval) remains high at plus 54 percentage points.

— Approval of the way President Donald Trump is handling the COVID-19 crisis decreased slightly, with 59 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way he is handling things. Trump’s net approval rating decreased by 5.6 percentage points to plus 20.5 percentage points.

— Approval of the way local government and health officials are handling the COVID-19 crisis remains high, with 77 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way they are handling things. The net approval remains high for this group at plus 59 percentage points.

— Concern about the impact of COVID-19 on the economy continues to increase, with 76 percent saying they are very concerned.

Meanwhile, support for major policies to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 continue to decline:

— 76 percent say they support the closure of K-12 schools, a decrease of 8 percentage points.

— 67 percent say they support the closure of daycare centers, a decrease of 11 percentage points.

— 64 percent say they support the closure of restaurants and bars, a decrease of 12 percentage points.

— 74 percent say they support the limiting of public gatherings, a decrease of 8 percentage points.

— 44 percent say they support a “shelter-in-place” order, a decrease of 4 percentage points.

Fewer Wyomingites say they are following the news about COVID-19 very closely: 43 percent say this is the case, a decrease of 6 percentage points from two weeks ago and a decrease of 14 points from a month ago.

More Wyoming residents say they believe the worst is behind us (20 percent) than did two weeks ago (14 percent). Some 37 percent of residents say the worst is yet to come, a decrease of 10 points from two weeks ago.

While the number of people in Wyoming who say they have not changed their daily routine because of COVID-19 remains steady (12.5 percent), there has been an observable shift from those who say they have changed it a lot to those who say they have changed it a little:

— Nearly 48 percent of residents say they have changed their routine a lot, a decrease of nearly 7 points from two weeks ago. Alternatively, nearly 40 percent say they have changed their routine a little — an increase of nearly 5 points.

— 71 percent of residents say they are avoiding physical contact with others, a decrease of 8 percentage points from two weeks ago.

— 46 percent say they are avoiding houses of worship, and 47 percent say they are declining visits from friends and family — a decrease of roughly 5 points for each from two weeks ago.

— Fewer people say they are spending more time at home in response to the COVID-19 crisis (73 percent) than said they were two weeks ago (78 percent).

— More people report that they are wearing personal protective items in public spaces than said so two weeks ago, with almost half (49 percent) saying they now do this — an increase of 4 percentage points.

Fewer Wyoming residents feel COVID-19 is a real threat that did two weeks ago, with 54 percent saying so now — a decrease of 7 points from two weeks ago. Alternatively, 36 percent say it is blown out of proportion — an increase of 7 points.

There is a trend of an increasing proportion of people who say they are very unlikely to get a vaccine for COVID-19 if one becomes available, with 19 percent saying they are very unlikely to now. Two weeks ago, 15 percent said they were very unlikely, while a month ago 10 percent said this.

Significantly fewer residents say they have had problems in the last two weeks buying the groceries and/or household items they need. Some 62 percent say they have experienced problems buying groceries or other food items, a decrease of 15 points from two weeks ago. Some 49 percent say they have experienced difficulty purchasing household items, a decrease of 18 points from two weeks ago.

To see the survey methodology, chart, figures, and complete survey results, download the full report.