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Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for July 9, 2020

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By Scott Rasmussen

The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.

July 9, 2020: Twenty-four percent (24%) of voters nationwide favor granting statehood to Washington, D.C. A Scott Rasmussen national survey found that 49% preferred giving some of the land in D.C. back to Virginia and Maryland. That would give residents of the city voting rights while still preventing any one state from having an unfair advantage over the others. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are not sure which approach is better.[1]

Very liberal voters—by a 43% to 32% margin—favor D.C. statehood over the alternative. However, in every other measured demographic group, more voters supported returning the land to Virginia and Maryland. Black voters were nearly evenly divided (38% prefer giving the land back, 35% would rather see D.C. statehood).[1]

The survey found that just 46% of voters don't believe it's fair for D.C. residents to lack a voting representative in Congress.[1]

If D.C. were to return land to Virginia, it would not be for the first time. The federal government retroceded parts of the District of Columbia, consisting of what is now part of Arlington County and the city of Alexandria, to the state of Virginia in 1847.[2]



Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.

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