Polls & Research

Americans Support DC Voting Delegate

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - A majority of people in the United States would grant voting powers to their capital's delegate in Congress, according to a poll by TNS released by the Washington Post. 61 per cent of respondents want the Washington, D.C. delegate to be allowed to vote on laws in the House of Representatives.

When informed of a proposed law which would give the overwhelmingly Democratic D.C. a full voting member in the House, while also giving the heavily Republican state of Utah another congressional seat, 49 per cent of respondents agree, while 37 per cent disagree.

Currently, Washington, D.C. has a delegate in Congress, but that person is not allowed to vote on laws. Other entities that have non-voting delegates in the U.S. legislative branch are American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Last month, the first draft of the bill was approved by the lower house of Congress. U.S. president George W. Bush and several Republican Party members oppose the proposed legislation, arguing that the Constitution denies voting rights to a non-state entity such as the District of Columbia.

On May 2, independent Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman, who supports the bill, praised Republican Utah senator Orrin Hatch for endorsing the draft law, saying, "I am certain that this co-sponsorship will lead to the breakthrough that we've been searching for to bring an end of 200 years of disenfranchisement."

Polling Data

As you may know, Washington, D.C. has a delegate in Congress, but that person is not allowed to vote on laws. Would you support or oppose new legislation giving D.C. a full voting member in the U.S. House of Representatives?

One proposed law would give overwhelmingly Democratic D.C. a full voting member in the House, while also giving the heavily Republican state of Utah another congressional seat. Would you support or oppose this proposal?