Poll: Most Americans oppose political parties drawing election lines

Politicians are moving quickly on partisan redistricting efforts in several states to shape the 2026 midterm elections.

Politicians are moving quickly on partisan redistricting efforts in several states to shape the 2026 midterm elections. But a large majority of Americans — including those living in the critical states of Texas and California — oppose political parties controlling the drawing of congressional maps.

The findings in the latest NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey were gathered amid Texas Republicans’ successful effort to redraw their 2026 congressional map to boost GOP chances of keeping the U.S. House majority next year. That move, at President Donald Trump’s urging, set off an arms race of off-cycle redistricting that now includes efforts by California Democrats and Republicans in other states. Political districts are usually redrawn at the beginning of each decade, after the census.

Nationwide, over 8 in 10 Americans (82%) prefer that congressional districts be drawn by nonpartisan commissions rather than the party in power in each state. While a handful of states have independent commissions handling their congressional line-drawing, state legislatures have that power in more than half of states.

The finding is a striking instance of political maneuvering falling out of sync with the opinions of Americans, as the White House continues to urge GOP-led states to redraw maps. Following Texas, Republicans began a mid-decade redistricting process in Missouri this month, while Democrats have countered in California, with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom pushing a redistricting ballot measure there this fall.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses the media after discussing the “Election Rigging Response Act” in Los Angeles on Aug. 14.Mario Tama / Getty Images fileSupport for nonpartisan commissions is strong among both Democrats and Republicans, the poll shows, though nationally, Republicans have a greater preference for partisan control of the process compared to Democrats.