Poll: Most American voters dislike current redistricting methods

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- A majority of Americans say they think redrawing congressional districts often is meant to take away power from voters, results of a Harris poll indicated.

The Harris Poll, released Thursday, indicated respondents of all political stripes expressed a desire to see the power of remapping a congressional district's boundaries removed from those who have a vested interest in the results.

Many members of the U.S. House of Representatives are from districts that have been redrawn to protect the incumbent, often called "Gerrymandering."

Seventy-one percent of those asked said they believe that dividing up congressional districts is a way for state politicians to influence national politics, results indicated. Sixty-four percent said they think redrawing districts is often used to take away a voter's power.

More than seven in 10 said they believe that those who stand to benefit from redrawing congressional districts should not have a say in how they are redrawn, results indicated. Harris said majorities of adults said they subscribed to this viewpoint regardless of political affiliation or philosophy.

Only 2 percent of U.S. adults said that the decision should rest with state legislatures, with the majority party having the most say in the process, results indicated.

Fifty percent of adults said they believe an independent commission emphasizing geography over political affiliations should oversee the remapping process.

Results are based on an online survey of 2,368 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 16-21. A margin of error was not provided.