Poll finds strong public backing for a nine-justice Supreme Court amendment
A recent McLaughlin Associates poll shows roughly 64% of Americans would support a constitutional amendment to keep the Supreme Court at nine justices, despite Democratic calls to expand the bench.
McLaughlin Associates conducted a poll querying the public on a proposed constitutional amendment, called “Keep Nine,” that would mandate a nine-justice Supreme Court. The results indicated that almost 64% of respondents would support the amendment, compared with roughly 18% who would oppose it. When broken down by affiliation, 46% of Democrats and 54% of independents expressed support, while Republicans largely backed the measure.
The amendment was brought to a vote in the House on September 2 but fell short of the required two-thirds majority, despite backing from nearly every House Republican and Democrat Don Davis of North Carolina; fifteen members abstained. Meanwhile, Democrats remain committed to expanding the Court, with Rep. James Clyburn suggesting a bench of thirteen, former Vice President Kamala Harris advocating a similar increase, and other Democrats such as Pramila Jayapal and Chris Deluzio endorsing legislation to add justices. The poll underscores a gap between public preference for a nine-justice Court and the political momentum toward court-packing.
Why it matters
It reveals a gap between voter preference for a nine-justice Supreme Court and Democratic efforts to expand the bench.
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