Mask mandates in airports weren’t actually bothering Americans too much, according to Ipsos polling.
The big picture: While the end of masking requirements for airlines and many airports was reportedly greeted with applause, this poll shows that most Americans — and even most Republicans — were fine with mask requirements and are largely unmoved by their demise.
Details: In a surprising departure from the strict partisan divides we usually see on COVID, Democrats, Republicans and independents are all basically on the same page.
- Democrats and independents support mask mandates by much wider margins than Republicans, but most Republicans are still on board.
- 57% of Republicans, for example, said they supported mask requirements in airports (compared to 75% of independents and 91% of Democrats). Majorities also said they support requiring masks on planes, on trains and when riding public transit.
When it comes to actual behavior, though, that bipartisan agreement starts to wane.
- Just 34% of Republicans said they're very likely to keep wearing masks on planes even though they no longer have to — compared to 58% of Democrats and 46% of independents.
Majorities in all three categories said they haven’t been on a plane since the pandemic began.
- Asked whether the removal of mask mandates would change their willingness to fly, most Republicans (51%) and independents (53%), along with a plurality of Democrats (45%), said it wouldn’t make a difference.
Methodology: Ipsos conducted this survey April 19-20. It is based on a sample of 998 adults, who were interviewed online. The poll has a credibility interval of ± 3.8 percentage points for all respondents, ± 7.5 percentage points for Republicans, ± 6.5 forDemocrats and ± 6 for independents/others.
