Most Washingtonians believe the Supreme Court is out of touch with American beliefs and values, a feeling that runs deeper among women than men, according to a new statewide poll.
Some of that mistrust is evident in how respondents believe the Supreme Court would handle a close vote or disputed election come November. Washington residents have more confidence in local election officials to sort out the results.
However, confidence in the Supreme Court is mixed among conservatives, compared to all respondents.
The Supreme Court, long narrowly split on ideological lines, has shifted right in the past decade, a trend highlighted by the court overturning Roe v. Wade two years ago. Of the nine justices, six were picked by Republican presidents. During his four years in the White House, former President Donald Trump appointed three of them.
The poll was conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of The Seattle Times in partnership with KING 5 and the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public.
Sentiments toward the court among self-identified Democrats in Washington follow a predictable trend, given the shift.
About 73 percent of respondents who chose Democratic Party affiliations said the Supreme Court was out of touch with the “values and beliefs of most Americans.” Among those who chose Republican Party affiliations, that figure dropped to 47 percent.
Among all Washington residents, 61 percent said the court was out of touch. There was a stark difference among genders as 67 percent of women held an unfavorable view of the court, compared to nearly half of the men holding a similar view.
Of the respondents, 41 percent hold no confidence in the court’s ability to resolve a messy Election Day. About one-third of them held some confidence and 17 percent had great confidence. About 11 percent were unsure. Among Democratic respondents, more than half are certain the court won’t effectively address disputes.
Confidence in the ability of elected offices and courts
Question: How much confidence do Washington state residents have in the ability of each of the following to resolve a close vote or disputed election?
The results show an increasingly unfavorable opinion of the Supreme Court, according to the pollster. When SurveyUSA asked the same question to Washington residents in October 2022, about 55 percent said the court was out of touch.
“While somewhat conservative voters are evenly divided, a plurality or majority of every other group says the court is out of touch with most Americans,” SurveyUSA said in a poll summary.
Confidence, distrust
The results also show a deeper mistrust of the upcoming elections among Republicans than Democrats or independents, especially at the local level.
Some Republican candidates are still driving the false narrative of a rigged election.
In Washington’s 4th Congressional District, Trump-backed candidate Jerrod Sessler recently told The Seattle Times he believed the 2020 presidential election was illegitimate and the Jan. 6 attack was a setup.
Thirty-eight percent of Republicans surveyed said they held no confidence in local and state election officials to get through a close or disputed vote count. Democrats and independents reflectively responded to the survey at 11 percent and 23 percent.
Republicans held little confidence in state or federal courts on the issue but were split at the Supreme Court level.
While 54 percent of Democrats didn’t trust the court on a disputed election, 43 percent of Republicans had some confidence and 23 percent had great confidence.
The WA Poll was conducted online July 10-13 by SurveyUSA.
It reached 900 adults, including 564 likely voters, using a population sample provided by Lucid Holdings.
The respondents were weighted to U.S. Census proportions for gender, age, race, education and homeownership.
