FDU Poll finds NJ narrowly favors school cell phone ban

In his State of the State address, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy called for a ban on cellphones in public schools, but voters are split, backing a ban by a relatively close margin.

According to the latest results from the Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) Poll, older voters strongly favor such a ban, while younger ones oppose it. The survey also asked about limits on sports betting ads, an idea which attracts overwhelming support across demographic and political groups.

Overall, 49 percent of New Jersey voters say that the state should ban cell phones in public schools, with 45 percent opposing such a ban. Republicans (56 percent) are much more likely to support a ban than Democrats (39 percent). White voters are also more likely to support a ban (51 percent) than Black (39 percent) or Hispanic voters (43 percent), in line with the partisan divide.

The biggest driver of views on a cell phone ban is age. Fully 70 percent of the youngest voters – those 30 and under – oppose a ban; among the oldest voters (those 65 and up), this is basically flipped, with 65 percent supporting a ban.

“The generation gap in politics is real, and I can’t think of a better example,” said Dan Cassino, a Professor of Government and Politics at FDU, and the executive director of the Poll. “Of course, politics tends to be much more likely to follow the wishes of older voters than younger ones.”

In contrast to the divided opinions on a cell phone ban, New Jersey voters support limits on when and where ads for gambling can be shown by a wide margin, with 76 percent in favor of limits, and only 17 percent opposed. Support is high among both Democrats (81 percent) and Republicans (74 percent), and while older voters are more likely to support limits (79 percent) than younger ones, even among the youngest cohort, seventy percent favor limits.

“If either party is looking for a slam dunk issue in New Jersey, this is it,’ said Cassino. “Even the groups most likely to take part in gambling, like young men, seem to be fed up with all of the ads.”