Skip navigation menu
  • PRESS RELEASE
    Polling shows Greg Ballard immediately competitive as independent in Secretary of State race
  • Indiana Citizen

    Nonprofit seeks more competitive elections in Indiana by looking beyond Rep & Dem candidates
  • Axios indianapolis

    Ending straight-ticket voting was once a Republican priority. Independents are pushing for it now.
  • Indiana Capital Chronicle

    Group backing independent candidates wants Indiana to end straight-ticket voting
  • Fox59

    Independent Indiana releases new study, advocates electoral changes
  • PRESS RELEASE
    New Independent Indiana study recommends three reforms to return competitive elections to the state
  • PRESS RELEASE

    Statewide survey: Strong support for independent candidates and reform

  • Indianapolis Business Journal

    Nathan Gotsch: Elected officials critical of their parties in private
  • Indianapolis business Journal

    Guest Column: The dirty little secret about Indiana elections

  • PRESS RELEASE
    Independent Indiana Responds to Governor Braun’s Call for Special Session on Redistricting
  • Crossroads politics - WTHR

    Crossroads Politics covers our recent polling data
  • WTHR

    On Voter Discontent and Low Approval Ratings for Republicans
  • kendall & Casey Show – WIBC

    Nathan Gotsch from Independent Indiana joins with some recent polling results on Governor Braun
  • PRESS RELEASE
    ‘You’re not alone’: Indiana poll finds dissatisfaction with leaders, parties, state direction
  • WTHR

    Poll shows majority of Hoosiers are not for redistricting
  • Indiana Capital chronicle

    New poll reports majority of Hoosiers oppose redistricting
  • PRESS RELEASE
    Hoosier voters favor reforms to straight ticket voting and ballot access
  • Memo: North star opinion research

    Election Reform Findings
  • Sheila Kennedy

    An Intriguing New Non-Party
  • Newsletter

    Newsletter for September 30th: Our First Month In Review
  • WIBC

    Independents Make Gains in Indiana Elections
  • All indiana politics - WISHTV

    New organization aims to boost independent candidates
  • Transcript and Video

    Panel Discussion: Independent Leadership in Indiana
  • PRESS RELEASE

    Independent Indiana adds national political organizer ahead of Indianapolis panel

  • IndianaPOLIS business journal

    ‘Leadership recession’ also fertile ground for change

  • Transcript and video

    Panel Discussion: Lessons for Indiana from the National Independent Movement
  • kendall & Casey Show – WIBC

    Independent Indiana pushes for fairer elections
  • WOWO

    Breaking the Mold: Mayor Richard Strick’s Independent Success in Huntington
  • WRTV

    On The Success of Independents In Indiana
  • WRTV

    Independent Indiana pushes to put more nonpartisan candidates on ballots
  • Indiana week in REview - Wfyi

    Indiana Week in Review panel discusses Independent Indiana
  • WFYI

    Independent Indiana launches ad campaign to promote appeal of nonpartisan leaders
  • WFFT

    Promoting independent candidates: Independent Indiana launches TV ads
  • PRESS RELEASE
    Independent Indiana launches statewide TV ads highlighting independent leadership
  • WTHR

    'Independent Indiana' aims to help break the two-party mold
  • INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL

    Guest Column: Surprising Indiana election data suggests a reason for hope

  • WOWO

    New Initiative To Help Independent Candidates

  • INDY STAR

    Can independent candidates make our elections more competitive? This new group is making the push

  • Indiana Capital Chronicle

    Indiana initiative supporting independent candidates launches

  • PRESS RELEASE

    Initiative focused on returning competitive elections to Indiana announces statewide launch

  • PRESS RELEASE

    Independent Indiana announces Nathan Gotsch as executive director

Oct
9
2025

Indiana Capital chronicle

New poll reports majority of Hoosiers oppose redistricting

Another poll concluded that a majority of Hoosiers oppose a GOP effort to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms, a move that would potentially eliminate two seats held by Democrats.

North Star Opinion Research, on behalf of Independent Indiana, found that 53% of Indiana registered voters don’t support the move, compared to 34% in favor. The Virginia-based firm found that opposition was slightly higher in the Indianapolis media market at 55%, compared to 51% outside of that area.

Republican respondents, however, support it by a margin of 59% to 25%; while independents and Democrats are opposed by margins of 59% to 28% and 85% to 11%, respectively.

“Voters are frustrated with how things are working in Indiana,” said Dan Judy, the vice president of North Star Opinion Research. “Our polling clearly shows that voters in Indiana do not believe redistricting is the right thing to do at this moment. Moreover, they want to see changes to the electoral system that give them better options and opportunities moving forward.”

Of Indiana’s nine congressional seats, Democrats hold one in Indianapolis and another in northwestern Indiana. The maps were drawn in 2021 following extensive public hearings. The poll’s findings come as Vice President JD Vance returns to the Hoosier State in an attempt to sway Senate Republicans in a closed-door caucus on Friday.

“The data is clear: Hoosier voters don’t want politicians redrawing our Congressional maps in mid-stream to give one party an advantage,” said Nathan Gotsch, the executive director of Independent Indiana. “What they do want is a fair system—one that ends straight-ticket voting and holds independent, Republican, and Democratic candidates to the same standards.”

The 604 Hoosiers polled this week were mostly contacted by phone, though 29% were reached by text-to-web on a cell phone. Another poll, conducted in August, similarly found that just over half of Hoosiers opposed mid-cycle redistricting.

Independent Indiana, which supports independent candidates throughout the state, also quizzed Hoosiers on the state’s signature requirements and straight-ticket voting. Two-thirds of polled voters thought that the 4,000-signature requirement for independent candidates to run for Congress was “unfair,” while a quarter supported the standard. Support was higher among independent voters and Democrats — at 76% to 71%, respectively — compared to 56% of Republicans.

Similarly, Republican voters were more likely to support straight-ticket voting, which allows a voter to select all of a party’s candidates at once. The majority of Hoosiers polled, or 62%, agreed it was a “bad thing,” while 26% said it was a “good thing.” Just under half, or 49%, of Republicans didn’t like straight ticket voting, compared to 72% of independents and 62% of Democrats.

“Whether they identify as Republicans, Democrats, or independents, Indiana voters want an even playing field in our elections,” Gotsch concluded. “The current push for mid-decade redistricting is the opposite of that.”

North Star regularly polls for GOP candidates and national Republican committees.