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New poll shows NC voters overwhelmingly oppose gerrymandering

FILE - The North Carolina state House reviews copies of a map proposal for new state House districts during a committee hearing at the Legislative Office Building in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. North Carolina judges deciding whether a redistricting lawsuit claiming a state constitutional right to “fair” elections can go to trial questioned Thursday their ability to scrutinize district boundaries that way or to define what “fair” means.
Hannah Schoenbaum
/
Associated Press
FILE - The North Carolina state House reviews copies of a map proposal for new state House districts during a committee hearing at the Legislative Office Building in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. North Carolina judges deciding whether a redistricting lawsuit claiming a state constitutional right to “fair” elections can go to trial questioned Thursday their ability to scrutinize district boundaries that way or to define what “fair” means.

A new poll shows North Carolina voters overwhelmingly oppose gerrymandering of congressional and legislative electoral districts and want a bipartisan citizens commission to draw voting maps instead of legislators.

The survey conducted by a Republican-leaning polling firm Opinion Diagnostics, commissioned by the nonpartisan voting rights group Common Cause North Carolina, shows 84% of North Carolina voters asked said it’s never acceptable for politicians to draw districts to help their own party win more seats, no matter the circumstances.

Related content: Judge rejects claims of racial gerrymandering in North Carolina state Senate districts

Republican leader of the NC Senate Senator Phil Berger recently said he might attempt to again redraw congressional districts in order to give GOP candidates an advantage in the 2026 election.

Bob Phillips, Executive Director of Common Cause North Carolina, said the polls show voters want no gerrymandering, not more, and “Senator Berger should take note and drop any attempt to engage in yet more map-rigging, even if pressured by Washington, D.C., politicians to further manipulate North Carolina’s districts.”

Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.

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