New Poll: Black Voters Report Dramatic Drop in SCOTUS Approval, Express High Levels of Concern on Abortion Access, Gun Violence (BLACKtrack)

Washington, D.C. | July 27 – Taken as the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was released, HIT Strategies’ most recent BlackTrack poll underscores the high degree of attention Black voters continue paying to news emanating from the Supreme Court. Black voter approval of SCOTUS dropped from 63% in March to an all-time BlackTrack low of 42% this month.  

This significant drop in approval came as the Supreme Court released controversial decisions surrounding abortion access and gun violence, two top-of-mind issues for Black voters. In the survey, 83% of Black voters reported concern about the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn federal abortion protections. For comparison, a Data for Progress poll in early May of this year reported that just 63% of all voters were concerned about Roe being overturned. Black voters also expressed their highest concern on abortion accessibility for other Black people, LGBTQ+ people, and Hispanics, emphasizing the intersectional lens through which Black voters view abortion access. The high level of concern and voting motivation from Black voters surrounding abortion access corresponds to a recent HIT-URGE Poll of 18-34 people. 

Moreover, in response to the white supremacist-fueled Buffalo shooting and the Uvalde elementary school shooting, 50% of Black voters listed “gun violence” as one of the top 3 issues facing the country, only barely behind the number one selection, “inflation or cost of living,” at 52%. Additionally, gun violence was the highest registered concern for Black voters over 50 and Black women, with 61% and 55% of respondents selecting that issue topic, respectively. 

“In the aftermath of a traumatic series of events for the country and a disastrous set of Supreme Court decisions, Black voters are becoming increasingly concerned by the threat of abortion restrictions and gun violence,” said Terrance Woodbury, a founding partner at HIT Strategies. “It is critical that President Biden and Democrats maintain their level of trust with the Black community by emphasizing their plan of action to protect Black people from rollbacks in reproductive rights and rising levels of racist violence.” 

More Takeaways from July BlackTrack 

President Biden Approvals 

President Joe Biden’s job performance approval numbers among all Black voters registered at 77%, an increase compared to the most recent BlackTrack poll in April where his approval stood at 74%. Of those respondents over 50 years of age, Biden’s approval was reported at 82%, while his approval among respondents under 50 years of age was 72%.

President Biden’s approvals addressing the needs of Black people came in at 74%, the same as the most recent survey in March. 

• Of those respondents over 50 years of age, Biden’s approval on the needs of Black people was reported at 83%, while his approval addressing the needs of Black people among respondents under 50 was 67%. 
• Unlike his overall job performance approval numbers, Biden’s approval addressing the needs of Black people contained a significant gender gap, earning 69% of Black male approvals and 78% of Black female approvals. 

Democrat Approvals 

• Democrats job performance approval numbers among all Black voters registered at 76%, an increase compared to the most recent BlackTrack poll in April where the party’s approval stood at 72%. Of those respondents over 50 years of age, Biden’s approval was reported at 82%, while his approval among respondents under 50 years of age was 70% 

Supreme Court Approvals 

• Following a large increase in Supreme Court approval during Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation process, voter approval of SCOTUS justices plummeted from 63% in March to 42% this month. The greatest drop-offs came from Black female respondents, 65% to 38%, and Black voters over 50, 60% to 35%. 

Black Voter Approvals 

• The most highly rated figures tested among Black voters were Barack Obama, Black Lives Matter, and the Democratic Party, with approvals registering 84%, 76%, and 73%, respectively. Conversely, the lowest rated figures tested among Black voters were Donald Trump, The Republican Party, and Ron DeSantis, with the three registering 16%, 13%, and 12% approvals, respectively. 

This BlackTrack survey was fielded from June 23-29, 2022, conducted via an online opt-in panel, with a margin of error of +/-3.1% at a 95% confidence level. The information above represents selected data from the BlackTrack survey.

About BlackTrack 
Blacktrack is HIT Strategies’ monthly survey of 1,000 Black voters ages 18+ on current social and political issues. BlackTrack tracks Black Americans’ opinions and disaggregates the data into demographic groups to understand Black voters’ full diversity. The majority of BlackTrack data is proprietary and available for subscribers. For more information on previous public data or to subscribe, go to hitstrat.com/blacktrack. 

About HIT Strategies  
As Washington’s leading millennial and minority-owned public opinion research company, HIT Strategies helps progressive leaders and organizations translate the values and attitudes of target audiences into real-time insights. We understand America’s fastest-growing electorate and consumer groups and specialize in targeting communities under-represented in public opinion, including Black Americans, Latino Americans, Millennials + Genz, LGBTQ+, Women, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders. Visit hitstrat.com and follow @HITStrat on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more information. 

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