Most Virginians support keeping the commonwealth’s current system for drawing political maps and give Gov. Abigail Spanberger an approval rating similar to her predecessor, according to a new poll released by the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research at Roanoke College.
The survey found that 62% of respondents support the current redistricting method. 52% said they would vote to keep the current system, while 44% said they would support adopting the change proposed by the General Assembly.
The language in the poll question differs from the wording that will appear on the April redistricting referendum.
The poll asked respondents if they would support a “new map which is thought to favor Democrats in 10 of the 11 congressional districts in Virginia.”
The ballot referendum will ask voters if the “Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections.”
The person who oversaw this polling noted that this language difference could affect the poll’s numbers compared to the actual referendum results.
“Given the partisan ramifications and the Democratic-inspired wording of the question ‘to restore fairness’ to elections, this may not be indicative of the outcome,” said Dr. Harry Wilson, interim director for IPOR.
Spanberger, a Democrat who took office in January, begins her term with a 53% job approval rating and 39% disapproval, according to the poll. Her numbers closely mirror former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s final approval rating, which stood at 54% approve and 38% disapprove.
Spanberger’s favorable rating stands at 51%, with 39% viewing her unfavorably, reflecting a modest decline from what pollsters described as a short post-election “honeymoon” period following her November victory.
The poll also found broad support for a range of gun control measures, including licensing gun owners and registering all firearms with the state. Majorities of respondents also backed bans on several categories of semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines, though only a small share supported banning all firearms.
The poll was conducted between Feb. 9 and Feb. 16 among 800 Virginia residents and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.43 percentage points.