Shifts in Texans' Views of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (October 2012 - February 2013)

"As you may know, some states have a history of discrimination in their election laws. Because of this, they are required to request federal approval before implementing any changes to their voting procedures or election practices.

Do you think these states should still be subject to federal supervision, or do you think they should be able to change their voting and election practices without the approval of the federal government?"

Support federal approval Oppose federal approval Don't know
  October 2012 51% 36% 13%
Democrats 81 9 10
Republicans 24 63 13
Independents 45 35 20

(n=800, MOE is +/- 3.46)

Support federal approval Oppose federal approval Don't know
February 2013 44% 40% 17%
Democrats 75 8 17
Republicans 17 69 14
Independents 40 39 21

(n=594, MOE is +/- 4.02; adjusted for weighting, MOE is +/- 4.68)

Name-Checking Texas and Texans' Views of Section 5
(February 2013)

"As you may know, Texas has a history of discrimination in its election laws. Because of this, Texas is required to request federal approval before implementing any changes to its voting procedures or election practices.

Do you think Texas should still be subject to federal supervision, or do you think Texas should be able to change its voting and election practices without the approval of the federal government?"

Support federal approval Oppose federal approval Don't know
February 2013 41% 47% 12%
Democrats 80 9 11
Republicans 10 80 10
Independents 27 37 36

(n=604, MOE is +/- 3.99; adjusted for weighting, MOE is +/- 4.60)