Nearly two out of three voters say they oppose the idea of court packing, even as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, dodge questions on the campaign trail as to whether they’d pack the Supreme Court should they win in November.
According to a new Marist poll commissioned by the Susan B. Anthony List, 61 percent of registered voters said they opposed the notion of court packing, which would involve Congress intentionally expanding the number of seats on the Supreme Court to “pack” them with certain ideologically minded justices for political gain. Congressional Democrats have hinted they may move forward with court packing if Republicans vote to confirm Trump's SCOTUS pick, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, to the bench just days ahead of the presidential election. Biden has refused to rule out the idea should he be elected in November.
While only 55 percent of Democrats said they supported court packing compared to 31 percent who were opposed, an overwhelming 95 percent of Republicans said they were against it. More Democrats (13%) responded they were "unsure" than Republicans (2%). Nearly two-thirds of Independents said they do not support court packing.
of the 31 percent who told Marist that they’d support court packing, nearly half identified as “pro-choice.” Only 11 percent identified as pro-life.
The number of persons who support or oppose court packing also seems to fall along certain lines, including race and age. While more than 60 percent of voters over the age of 30 say they oppose court packing, only 40 percent of those 18-29 said the same. And while 68 percent of white voters said they oppose court packing, 60 percent of black respondents said they support it.
Unsurprisingly, three out of four respondents from rural areas said they oppose court packing. But it’s notable that more people form big cities said they’re against the idea (46%) compared to those who said they were in favor (41%).