Poll: Majority of Hoosiers oppose state redistricting efforts mid-decade

INDIANAPOLIS — A new Indiana poll shows that Hoosier voters oppose the federal calls for redistricting in the state in the middle of the decade.

According to a news release from Independent Indiana, 53% of Indiana voters who responded to the poll oppose the redistricting effort, while 34% support the idea. This poll, commissioned by Independent Indiana and conducted by North Star Opinion Research, of 604 registered voters occurred over four days earlier this month and has a ±3.99% margin of error.

According to its website, Independent Indiana is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that aims to “return competitive elections to the state of Indiana.” The organization’s website states that Independent Indiana was formed to “break down the barriers that keep independents from voting.”

Federal officials have expressed interest in redistricting the state of Indiana in the middle of a decade to remove the state’s two Democratic seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. According to previous reports, Republicans have said that they believe gaining two seats would help them have a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Vice President J.D. Vance visited Indianapolis in August and is expected to return this week to continue the conversation on redistricting. State Republican lawmakers have also traveled to Washington, D.C., to talk about redistricting, along with other topics.

“Voters are frustrated with how things are working in Indiana,” said Dan Judy, the vice president of North Star Opinion Research, said. “Our polling clearly shows that voters in Indiana do not believe redistricting is the right thing to do at this moment. Moreover, they want to see changes to the electoral system that give them better options and opportunities moving forward.”

The poll also included other election-related results, including:

• 67% of respondents stated it was unfair that independent candidates for U.S. Congress have to collect signatures to appear on the ballot
• 62% of respondents stated that Indiana’s straight-ticket voting law is a “bad thing.”

Nathan Gotsch, the executive director of Independent Indiana, said that he believes the results show that Indiana voters are frustrated by the state’s political system.

“The data is clear: Hoosier voters don’t want politicians redrawing our Congressional maps in mid-stream to give one party an advantage,” Gotsch said in the release. “What they do want is a fair system—one that ends straight-ticket voting and holds independent, Republican, and Democratic candidates to the same standards.

“Whether they identify as Republicans, Democrats, or independents, Indiana voters want an even playing field in our elections,” he continued. “The current push for mid-decade redistricting is the opposite of that.”

For more information about Independent Indiana, click here.