The Supreme Court hit its lowest approval rating among registered voters in a Quinnipiac University poll published this week, after justices refused to block a Texas ban on abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected.
Fifty percent of registered voters gave the high court a negative approval rating, while 37% approved of the job the justices are doing. Thirteen percent did not offer an opinion.
It’s the lowest job approval the high court has received since Quinnipiac University began questioning people about the Supreme Court’s job in 2004.
According to the survey published Wednesday, 34% said the high court is too conservative, while 34% said it is just right. Nineteen percent said they think it is too liberal.
The poll was conducted roughly 10 days after the high court refused to block a Texas law that bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.
In the court’s upcoming term, the justices will weigh in on whether Mississippi can ban abortion at 15 weeks, which pro-choice advocates say can lead to overturning the 1973 landmark ruling in Roe v. Wade that guaranteed a right to an abortion before the third trimester.
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Wednesday’s poll showed more than 60% of voters want abortion to be legal in all — or most — cases, which was the highest level of support since Quinnipiac University began posing the question in 2004.
“The High Court is hit with low numbers. Amid a swirl of partisan issues on their plate, the conservative-leaning court sees its lowest approval ever,” said Tim Malloy, polling analyst with Quinnipiac University.
The survey polled 1,210 adults from Sept. 10-13. It has a plus-or-minus 2.8 percentage point margin of error.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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