Inundated with ads financed by out of state megadonors and Leftist influence groups, Virginians will head to the polls on April 21st to decide whether their state constitution can be amended to allow mid-decade redistricting.
Heritage Action conducted a statewide survey of 814 likely Virginia voters, which revealed overwhelming opposition to partisan control of congressional redistricting and strong support for bipartisan mapmaking. However, it also shows that the misleading ballot language could very well tip the scale in favor of the amendment.
Read the full polling results here.
Topline: Virginians Overwhelmingly Reject Partisan Gerrymandering
Virginia voters decisively reject the idea that electoral maps should favor one political party over another. Only 23% support maps that disproportionately benefit a party. Furthermore, 87% of voters say maps should represent voters’ interests rather than politicians’, and 76% say gerrymandering should not be allowed at all. This consensus spans Republicans, independents, and Democrats alike, and underscores the widespread frustration with partisan manipulation of district lines.
Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting commission, which was established following a previous referendum in 2020, also polled strongly. When asked who should draw Virginia’s electoral maps, voters heavily prefer bipartisan commissions over partisan lawmakers. Nearly three quarters (74%) of voters support independent or bipartisan bodies that include private citizens, whereas only 26% support allowing partisan officials to reject maps created by Virginia’s bipartisan commission.
Confusion at the Ballot Box
The amendment ballot language claims it would “restore fairness” by allowing the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts. In reality, the amendment would empower Democrats in Richmond to replace Virginia’s current 6D:5R congressional map with a 10D:1R map. Yet, despite their clear opposition to partisan gerrymandering, when polled on the first part of the ballot language alone, more voters supported the amendment than not (45% support, 36% oppose, 18% unsure).
However, after they were given additional context about the amendment, voters once again reacted negatively:
- Only 38% think the ballot language is clear while a sizable 50% say it is confusing.
- Initial support for the amendment drops when voters learn maps could not be redrawn again until 2030.
- A majority of Virginians (54%) agree that the proposed amendment could unfairly silence voters.
Dirty Politics
Attempts to fix the confusing language were fought vigorously in court by the Left. That’s because it’s a feature, not a bug.
Simply put, Leftists are attempting to weaponize Virginians’ desire for free and fair elections against them to increase their seat total in Congress—and voters appear likely to fall for the trap. It’s dirty politics at its finest.
Virginia voters must reject—not reward— these slimy tactics.