Poll Finds 54% Back 150 More House Seats as 50% Support Proportional Representation
Updated
Updated · Newsweek · Aug 11
Poll Finds 54% Back 150 More House Seats as 50% Support Proportional Representation
3 articles · Updated · Newsweek · Aug 11
Summary
54% of respondents backed adding 150 House members, taking the chamber to 585, while 50% supported proportional representation in a new survey by Fix Our House, New America and Verasight.
435 House seats have been fixed since 1929 even as the U.S. population grew from about 123 million in 1930 to more than 331 million in 2020, fueling arguments for smaller districts and closer representation.
2% of respondents could name proportional representation unprompted, underscoring why experts still see the reforms as politically remote despite voter openness.
Proponents say multi-member districts and vote-share-based seat allocation could curb gerrymandering and make results better match national voting patterns, though neither major party is assured to benefit.
Congress could change the House size by legislation, but both expansion and electoral-system overhaul would face resistance over costs, operations and shifts in political power.