A recent national poll conducted by Noble Predictive Insights found that American voters trust independent redistricting commissions over state legislatures to draw fair congressional district lines by a more than 2-to-1 margin. The poll, which surveyed 2,585 registered voters, revealed that 41% of voters trust independent commissions, compared to 16% who trust state legislatures and 15% who trust courts.

Bipartisan Preference

The preference for independent commissions was bipartisan, with Republicans favoring commissions over legislatures 38% to 19%, and Democrats preferring commissions 45% to 15%. Among true independents, 38% trusted commissions most, compared to 8% who trusted state legislatures.

According to Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, Democratic-run states will face challenges in the upcoming elections. Benjamin Schneer, an associate professor of public policy at Harvard Kennedy School, noted that voters view redistricting abuse as a fundamental fairness issue.

Expert Insights

Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said the voter preference for commissions reflects a genuine, bipartisan preference for fair maps. Jason Torchinsky, a political and election law attorney, argued that commissions have drawbacks, including the removal of electoral accountability from the process.

Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, suggested that Congress has the authority to act and should use its enumerated powers to call a halt to mid-decade redistricting, with an exception for court-ordered redraws. The National Conference of State Legislatures noted that about 17 states use some form of commission to draw congressional district lines, including 10 that rely primarily on commissions rather than the legislature.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.