Poll: Virginians Back Tighter Gun Laws, Favor Current Redistricting System

A new statewide poll shows most Virginians support stricter gun laws and favor keeping the commonwealth’s current redistricting system, even as many question whether tougher firearms restrictions would make them safer and express deep dissatisfaction with the direction of the country.

The poll, conducted by the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research at Roanoke College as the 2026 General Assembly session reached its midpoint last week, surveyed 800 Virginia residents while the Democratic-controlled legislature passed a slate of gun control measures and a constitutional amendment allowing lawmakers to redraw Virginia’s congressional maps if voters approve the measure in a referendum set for April.

A majority of Virginians back a range of gun control measures. The poll found 71% support for requiring gun owners to be licensed and 67% support for requiring all firearms to be registered with the state.

Most respondents also favor banning semi-automatic rifles (57%), semi-automatic shotguns (52%), and magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition (53%).

A larger share — 59% — favors banning guns often referred to as assault rifles, and half, 50%, support banning semi-automatic handguns. However, only 19% support banning all firearms.

Despite that support for specific restrictions, Virginians are nearly evenly divided on the broader philosophical question of gun rights versus gun control. Forty-nine percent say it is more important to protect Americans’ right to own guns, while 48% say controlling gun ownership is more important.

Respondents were also more likely to say that better enforcement of existing gun laws (56%) would reduce gun-related violence than adopting stricter laws (42%).

When asked what is most responsible for mass shootings, 52% cited poor mental health policies, compared with 30% who pointed to weak gun laws and 29% who cited poor enforcement of gun laws.

Views were similarly mixed on personal safety. Forty-nine percent said stricter gun laws would make them safer, while 35% said such laws would make no difference, and 16% said they would make them less safe.

Virginians expressed skepticism about making it more difficult for citizens to legally carry guns. Thirty-nine percent said that would make them safer, 29% said it would make them less saf,e and 32% said it would make no difference.

“Virginians clearly support a variety of gun control measures, but many question their efficacy,” said Harry Wilson, interim director for IPOR and author of three books on gun politics.

“A majority supports bans on essentially any and all semi-automatic firearms. But many think current gun laws aren’t the cause of mass shootings, and less than half think that stricter laws will make them safer. There is also strong support for gun registration and owner licensing, regulations that are anathema to many Second Amendment supporters.”

Redistricting and views on the direction of the state and nation

The poll also gauged attitudes on redistricting as Democrats move to place a proposed constitutional amendment before voters — an effort that Republicans are challenging in court.

A majority of respondents, 62%, said they support the current method of drawing legislative districts by a non-partisan Redistricting Commission every 10 years.

When asked how they would vote in a referendum to amend the state constitution and change that method, 52% said they would vote to keep the current process, while 44% said they would adopt the change proposed by the General Assembly.

“On the redistricting issue that seems to be headed to a referendum, Virginians generally prefer the current system,” Wilson said. “Still, given the partisan ramifications and the Democratic-inspired wording of the question ‘to restore fairness’ to elections, this may not be indicative of the outcome.”

Beyond policy questions, the poll found lingering dissatisfaction with the direction of the country and more tempered concerns about Virginia.

Sixty-five percent of respondents said the nation is on the wrong track, while 51% said Virginia is headed in the wrong direction. The assessment of the nation rebounded from the November poll, but views of Virginia grew more negative compared with November.

President Donald Trump’s job disapproval rating stands at 61%, similar to November.

The poll found that initially 53% of Virginians approved of Gov. Abigail Spanberger and 39% disapproved — close to former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s final approval numbers of 54% approve and 38% disapprove.

Spanberger’s current favorable rating is 51% favorable and 39% unfavorable, a decline from what the poll described as a potential post-election “honeymoon.” Trump’s favorable rating is 33%, slightly lower than is typical of his second term.

The poll’s results have a weighted margin of error of 4.43%.

by Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury

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