Poll: Enforcement not a deal breaker on mask mandate

In a recent poll of 823 Escambia voters, Inweekly found that two-thirds wear a face mask always. Another 16.2% wear one most of the time.  Only 5.1% never wear a face mask.

How often do you wear a face mask in public when you can’t social distance?

Personal District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5
How often Bergosh Underhill May Bender Barry Combined
Always 61.2% 70.1% 75.6% 68.2% 62.4% 67.0%
Most of the time 14.5% 20.1% 16.5% 15.6% 14.0% 16.2%
Some of the time 16.4% 8.5% 6.7% 11.0% 13.4% 11.2%
None of the time 7.9% 1.2% 1.2% 5.2% 10.2% 5.1%

The majority (58.7%) felt that the county commission should impose fines for violating a county-wide mandate requiring face masks inside businesses.  However, nearly the same percentage of those wanting a mandate didn’t think it was deal breaker if law enforcement didn’t enforce the mandate – 58.4%.

Do you think fines should be imposed on those violating a county mandate requiring face masks inside businesses?

District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5
Fines Bergosh Underhill May Bender Barry Combined
Yes 52.1% 66.5% 67.1% 56.1% 51.6% 58.7%
No 32.7% 26.2% 23.8% 30.1% 35.7% 29.6%
Undecided 15.2% 7.3% 9.1% 13.9% 12.7% 11.7%

How important is it to you that deputies enforce a face mask mandate?

District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5
Enforcement Bergosh Underhill May Bender Barry Combined
Important 57.8% 64.0% 61.3% 55.7% 52.7% 58.4%
Not Important 32.1% 24.0% 17.9% 28.7% 27.3% 26.0%
Undecided 10.1% 12.0% 20.8% 15.6% 20.0% 15.6%

Among those working, 78.1% said their employer requires them to wear a face mask always (60.8%) or most of the time (17.3%).

Does your employer require you to wear a mask when you can’t social distance?

District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5
On th Job Bergosh Underhill May Bender Barry Combined
Always 62.2% 63.8% 62.2% 63.0% 52.6% 60.8%
Most of the time 12.2% 17.2% 24.4% 13.0% 21.1% 17.3%
Some of the time 6.1% 8.6% 7.3% 7.0% 7.9% 7.3%
None of the time 19.5% 10.3% 6.1% 17.0% 18.4% 14.6%

Over 80% said it was very important and important that employees wear face masks in restaurants and retail , such as grocery stores, convenient stores and other retail businesses.

When you enter a restaurant how important is it to you that the employees are wearing a mask?

District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5
Restaurant Bergosh Underhill May Bender Barry Combined
Very Important 63.0% 68.3% 76.2% 73.4% 63.7% 69.0%
Important 12.1% 16.5% 11.6% 11.0% 12.7% 12.8%
Don’t care 14.5% 9.8% 6.7% 6.9% 14.6% 10.4%
Not Important 4.8% 3.7% 3.0% 4.0% 4.5% 4.0%
Very unImportant 5.5% 1.8% 2.4% 4.6% 4.5% 3.8%

When you enter a convenient store, grocery store, or other retail establishment, how important is it to you that the employees are wearing a mask?

District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5
Retail Bergosh Underhill May Bender Barry Combined
Very Important 63.6% 68.9% 71.3% 66.5% 62.4% 66.6%
Important 12.7% 14.0% 14.0% 14.5% 15.9% 14.2%
Don’t care 13.3% 9.8% 7.9% 8.7% 12.1% 10.3%
Not Important 4.8% 6.1% 0.6% 5.2% 3.2% 4.0%
Very unImportant 5.5% 1.2% 6.1% 5.2% 6.4% 4.9%

The poll was of 823 Escambia voters equally spread over all five commission districts. Voters were called using an Interactive Voice Response system during the hours of 4-8 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 2. The Margin of Error for this study is +/- 4.5% with a confidence level of 95%.