A new poll commissioned by Fix Our House and New America and shared with NPR finds about half of 1,000 respondents support replacing single-member U.S. House districts with proportional representation, with nearly a quarter opposed and roughly a third undecided. About 6 in 10 Trump voters who expressed an opinion backed proportional representation, and support was strongest among younger, more educated, and more left-leaning respondents. Earlier this summer roughly 500 democracy and legal experts sent a letter to Congress urging adoption of proportional systems to solve gerrymandering, arguing single-member districts fail to deliver fair outcomes. Pollsters told respondents about tradeoffs, including the likelihood of coalition governments, and Lee Drutman of New America said people still preferred proportional outcomes even if coalitions are less efficient. Drutman also said respondents were not highly worried about the prospect of more extreme parties because many already view current parties as extreme. Jocelyn Kiley of the Pew Research Center cautioned that voters lack detailed knowledge of specific reforms and that proposals often encounter resistance once they move from theory to practice.
