Most Americans say partisan gerrymandering should not be allowed

This week's Economist / YouGov poll finds that most Americans oppose partisan gerrymandering, but far smaller shares think the 2026 election will be conducted unfairly or that voting by mail poses a problem.

Most Americans (71%) say that states should not be allowed to draw congressional districts in a way that intentionally favors one party. Only 7% say that partisan gerrymandering should be allowed. Overwhelming majorities of Democrats (74%), Independents (70%), and Republicans (69%) say it should not be allowed.

Americans are more likely to say that their states' congressional districts have been drawn unfairly than to say they've been drawn fairly (32% vs. 24%), though many (44%) are not sure about districts in their states. Republicans are a bit more likely than Democrats to say their states' districts have been drawn fairly (32% vs. 25%); similar shares of both parties say they have been drawn unfairly (34%). Independents are about twice as likely to say their states' districts have been drawn unfairly than fairly (30% vs. 16%).

Americans in states that are represented in the U.S. House by a majority Democratic delegation are slightly more likely to say their states' districts were drawn fairly than those whose states are represented by a majority Republican delegation (26% vs. 21%). Americans in states whose delegations are evenly split between Democrats and Republicans are even more likely to say their states' districts were drawn fairly (33%).

Of the Americans who say that districts in their state are drawn unfairly, roughly equal shares say they are drawn to favor Democrats and that they are drawn to favor Republicans. Democrats and Republicans are about three times more likely to say that their states' districts give an unfair advantage to the other party than to say they give an advantage to their own party. Independents are more likely to say their states' districts favor Republicans than to say they favor Democrats.

While most Americans oppose partisan gerrymandering, fewer are worried that upcoming elections will not be run fairly. More Americans think the 2026 midterm elections will be conducted fairly and that the votes will be counted accurately than think they will not (38% vs. 27%). Democrats (49%) are more likely than Independents (30%) and Republicans (37%) to say that the midterms will be conducted fairly.

Americans in states that are represented by majority Democratic U.S. House delegations are slightly more likely to think the midterms will be conducted fairly than those in states represented by majority Republican delegations (40% vs. 36%). And while independent redistricting commissions seem to increase confidence in the fairness of states' districts, they don't seem to increase confidence in other parts of the electoral process. Americans in states that use redistricting committees and those in states where districts are decided by the state legislature are about equally likely to say that the 2026 midterms will be conducted fairly (38% vs. 37%).

Some political leaders have proposed increasing restrictions on mail voting, but most Americans do not agree with these proposals. A majority (58%) of Americans say that voting by mail should either be made easier (27%) or kept the same (31%). Only one-third (33%) say mail voting should either be made harder (15%) or not allowed (18%). Republicans (59%) are much more likely than Independents (30%) and Democrats (8%) to say that mail voting should be made harder or eliminated.

Most of the Americans who want to reduce mail voting usually vote in person on Election Day. Nearly half (47%) of Election Day voters say mail voting should be harder (18%) or eliminated (29%). In contrast, only about one-third (32%) of Americans who usually vote in person before Election Day and just 15% of those who usually vote by mail say access to mail voting should be reduced or cut entirely.

Equal shares of Americans usually vote in person on Election Day and usually vote through other methods (41% vs. 41%). The latter group is made up of the 19% of Americans who usually vote early in person and the 22% who usually vote by mail. Republicans (59%) are much more likely than Independents (29%) and Democrats (36%) to usually vote in person on Election Day. Democrats (33%) are more likely to usually vote by mail than Independents (22%) and Republicans (13%). Roughly equal shares of the three groups usually vote early in person.

Older Americans are much more likely than younger adults to vote early or by mail. A majority (59%) of Americans 65 and older usually vote early in person (24%) or by mail (34%). Only 35% usually vote in person on Election Day. Adults under 65 are more likely to vote in person on Election Day than to vote early or by mail. That means that older Americans would disproportionately feel the effects of any changes to mail voting.

Image: Getty (Win McNamee / Staff)

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