Poll: 60 percent favor stricter gun laws

NEW YORK, April 3 (UPI) -- A national poll indicates the majority of U.S. residents favor stricter gun laws, including a ban on assault weapons and universal background checks.

Six-in-10 respondents said laws covering gun sales should be tougher, NBC News reported.

That figure represents 83 percent of Democrats, 43 percent of gun owners and 37 percent of Republicans.

NBC News reported the poll's results are virtually the same as from a poll in February that found 61 percent backed stricter gun laws.

The Morning Joe/Marist poll also found that 87 percent of respondents support background checks for firearm purchasers, and 59 percent favor the ban of assault weapons.

The results come as the U.S. Senate is preparing to consider gun legislation, backed by Democrats and opposed by many Republicans.

The Morning Joe/Marist poll, conducted March 25-27, included 1,219 national respondents who were surveyed by both land line phone and cellphone. It has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.