The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA) released its exclusive polling data today at a press conference here detailing Arizona voters’ high level of concern about missile defense and protecting against weapons of mass destruction.

MDAA, a non-profit organization based in the Washington, D.C. area, is focused on informing and educating the public safety issue of missile defense. The extensive poll of 400 Arizona registered voters was conducted in May to gauge their current concerns and opinions regarding missile defense.

The data shows that those polled consider missile defense a top priority for the President and Congress to address this year. The issue crosses boundaries of political party, gender, socio-economic conditions and geography.

Riki Ellison, founder and CEO of MDAA said, “The gravest danger of all, the most frightening public safety issue of all, is the catastrophic harm that could result from hostile states or terrorist groups armed with weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them to U.S. cities, as well as against our troops overseas, and our friends and allies.”

Some highlights of the poll are:

  • Arizonians overwhelmingly support — by 78% — deploying the missile defense system that has the ability to protect the lives and families of every American from an attack using missiles carrying weapons of mass destruction.
  • Women in Arizona strongly believe in implementing a missile defense system, with 81% saying the U.S. should have a defense against missile attacks.
  • In fact, Arizonians feel so strongly about protecting their public safety that 70% think of missile defense as part of the new focus on homeland security.
  • By nearly 2 to 1, Arizonians believe the U.S. already has a system in place to protect American families from missile attacks — which is not true. There is no such system currently in place.
  • Arizonians identify this concern to be a real threat: 81% of Arizonians believe that the capabilities are out there to launch a missile with a weapon of mass destruction against the United States.
  • They support spending for the costs involved: A strong majority of Arizonians (77%) including Republican, Democrat, and Independent voters believe we should spend the money required for research and development of the missile defense system, which is where the critical costs are incurred.
  • And they believe it is money well spent: 75% of Arizonians support government spending on missile defense and think we should proceed.

Ellison said, “The people of Arizona have spoken. Their public safety needs to be protected and missile defense addresses this specific homeland security issue. A missile defense system is a win-win for the state of Arizona, and a win-win-win for all Americans.”

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA) is a national, non-partisan, 501C(3) organization. Based in the Washington, D.C. area, MDAA is focused on educating the public safety issue of missile defense at a grassroots level and to lawmakers in D.C.