The COVID-19 pandemic strongly shapes citizens’ satisfaction with democracy. While many studies have examined how COVID-19 pandemic affected satisfaction with democracy at the national level, evidence at the subnational level remains limited. This study aims to address this gap in the literature by proposing and testing a theoretical explanation based on the impacts of economic evaluation on dissatisfaction with democracy at the subnational level within federal systems. Drawing on survey data and subnational nonpharmaceutical measures in the United States from April to December 2020, I find that more stringent nonpharmaceutical interventions are associated with higher levels of dissatisfaction with democracy during the early phases of the pandemic. Overall, this study offers important insights into the nuanced dynamics of public policies and political attitudes in times of health crisis.