FDU Poll: NJ voters still oppose self-service gas pumps

⛽ New Jersey voters still overwhelmingly oppose allowing self-service gas, with 64% saying they want to keep full-service pumps.
🚗 The latest FDU Poll shows opinions have barely changed since 2012, proving one of New Jersey's longest-running debates isn't going away.
🗳️ Women, younger voters and Democrats are most likely to support keeping the state's ban on pumping your own gas.

Jersey voters still say: Hands off the gas pump

There are some debates that never seem to die in New Jersey.

Pork Roll or Taylor Ham? Central Jersey: real or imagined? And, of course, should Garden State drivers finally be allowed to pump their own gas?

If the latest Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll is any indication, New Jerseyans are sending a clear message: we don't pump our own.

New Jersey remains loyal to full-service gas

The new FDU Poll finds 64% of New Jersey voters want to keep the state's decades-old ban on self-service gasoline, while just 24% favor joining the other 49 states by allowing drivers to pump their own fuel. Those numbers are virtually unchanged from 2012, when 63% supported keeping full-service and 23% favored self-service.

For all the changes New Jersey has seen over the past decade, this issue remains remarkably consistent.

"At a time when everything seems unstable, it's good to know that there are some things that just don't change," said Dan Cassino, executive director of the FDU Poll and professor of government and politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University. "New Jersey voters have never wanted to pump their own gas, and they still don't want to pump their own gas."

That makes New Jersey the lone holdout in America. Every other state allows drivers to fill their own tanks, but here, pulling into a station still means waiting for an attendant.

For many residents, that's not an inconvenience. It's part of the our state's identity.

Jersey girls don't pump gas

The poll also found some notable demographic differences.

Women are the strongest supporters of keeping full-service, with 74% wanting the law to stay in place, compared with 56% of men. Even so, a majority of men still oppose changing the law.

"In the past, full-service gas has been seen as a safety measure for women," Cassino said. "But the gap between men and women could also just be men saying that they like doing things with their cars."

Perhaps even more surprising, younger voters are actually more supportive of full-service than older residents. About 68% of voters age 30 and younger want to keep the current system, compared with 61% of seniors.

One New Jersey tradition voters won't give up

Politics also plays a role, with Democrats expressing stronger support for full-service than Republicans, although the poll suggests those differences are largely explained by age and gender rather than political ideology.

Every few years, someone suggests New Jersey should finally join the rest of the country by allowing self-service gas. Supporters argue it would give drivers more choice, while opponents insist the current system provides jobs, convenience and a uniquely New Jersey experience.

Judging by this latest poll, Garden State voters aren't interested in changing one of our state's most recognizable traditions. In New Jersey, just like the Pork Roll versus Taylor Ham argument, some debates are destined to continue forever.

But for now, the answer to self-serve is clear: Fuhgeddaboudit!