There’s a lot more on the ballot than the presidential race. Voters will also consider a constitutional amendment creating a new mapmaking commission to draw political boundaries.
The constitutional amendment creating a new redistricting commission has a commanding lead according to a new pollfrom the Wason Center for Civic Leadership at Christopher Newport University. 54% of voters say they support it compared to 24% who say they oppose it.
Democrats are strongly in support of the amendment, and that support has remained steady despite opposition from the party's leadership. Meanwhile, Republican support has been steadily increasing.
Quentin Kidd is director of the Wason Center.
"Part of what's going on is the message is kind of sinking in to Republican voters that their leadership supports the amendment," says Kidd. "It's gotten a lot more attention than it had gotten in September."
In September, Republicans were more opposed to the amendment than in favor. Now that's flipped.
Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo is research director at the Wason Center.
"Our previous poll was definitely a little more mixed for Republicans and more opposition," she explains. "I'd say some of this is education over time, just people learning what this is and signals from party leadership on it on the Republican side."
If voters pass the amendment, that’ll create a new 16-member commission to draw political boundaries for the House of Delegates, the state Senate and Congress. That work will begin almost immediately after the election because the primary for the next General Assembly election is only about seven months away.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
