ST. PAUL, Minn. — Three-quarters of respondents to an informal Minnesota House State Fair poll said they support banning the possession of semiautomatic military-style assault weapons, while nearly two-thirds backed $100 million in state relief for businesses that suffered significant losses during the federal immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota.
The annual Minnesota House of Representatives poll found 75.2% of respondents supported prohibiting possession of semiautomatic military-style assault weapons, with exceptions for peace officers, service members and other government officials authorized to carry them while performing their duties. Another 20.5% opposed such a ban and 4.3% were undecided.
The poll is not a scientific survey of Minnesota voters. It was conducted by the nonpartisan House Public Information Services Office among State Fair attendees who chose to participate. A total of 9,605 fairgoers took part in this year’s 12-question poll, compared with 9,945 last year.
The poll was conducted during a State Fair that drew 1,923,325 attendees over its 12-day run. While overall attendance fell short of the fair’s all-time record, the 2026 fair opened with record crowds: 155,185 people attended opening day and 204,065 attended the following day, setting attendance records for both days.
The results, released Tuesday, offer a snapshot of fairgoers’ views on issues debated at the Capitol that could return when lawmakers convene for the 2027 legislative session.
Among them is financial assistance for businesses affected by Operation Metro Surge, the federal immigration enforcement operation that brought more than 3,000 federal agents to the Twin Cities and other Minnesota communities from December 2025 through February 2026.
Asked whether Minnesota should appropriate $100 million for a small-business relief fund for businesses that experienced significant financial losses during the operation, 64.3% said yes. About 22.7% opposed the proposal and 13% were undecided.
The poll also showed strong support for penalties against state employees whose intentional actions allow fraud to occur in state programs. About 80.4% favored terminating those employees and barring them from state employment for five years, while 6.9% opposed the proposal and 12.7% were undecided.
That proposal was part of House Republicans’ “Fraud Isn’t Free Act,” introduced in response to fraud involving state programs. The measure did not advance out of committee during the 2026 legislative session.
Gun policy, meanwhile, was one of the most contentious issues at the Capitol during the 2026 session. House DFLers proposed a gun violence prevention package that included a ban on semiautomatic military-style assault weapons. The proposal became a major point of disagreement between the House’s two caucuses during the final week of the session and was not resolved before lawmakers adjourned.
Fairgoers registered their strongest consensus on regulating driverless vehicles. More than 92% said Minnesota should regulate the vehicles, including requirements governing their operation and insurance.
Another 77.7% supported a proposed constitutional amendment increasing the amount of money distributed to school districts from the state’s permanent school fund. Unlike most of the issues included in the State Fair poll, Minnesota voters will have an opportunity to decide that question on the November ballot.
On voting requirements, 56.9% opposed requiring voters to show photo identification to receive a ballot, while 37.1% supported a photo ID requirement and 5.9% were undecided.
Other results included 69.4% support for limiting governors and lieutenant governors to two four-year terms in their lifetimes; 64.8% support for requiring health plans to cover infertility treatment and standard fertility preservation services; and 59.4% support for prohibiting government entities from acquiring and using facial recognition technology.
Fairgoers were more divided over taxes and traffic enforcement. About 52.1% supported exempting tips and overtime pay from state income taxes, while 37.2% opposed the idea. And 47.8% favored banning red-light cameras, compared with 38.9% who opposed a ban.
The House State Fair poll has been conducted for years as a way for fairgoers to weigh in on issues that have been — or could become — subjects of debate at the Legislature. The House cautions that because participation is voluntary and the respondents are not selected to represent Minnesota’s population, the results should not be interpreted as a scientific measure of statewide public opinion.
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