PRINCETON, N.J., June 24 (UPI) -- The low approval ratings potential voters give Congress now point to a high turnover in the November midterm elections, Gallup said Thursday.
The latest Gallup-USA Today poll indicated 20 percent of respondents approve of how Congress is handling its job, up only slightly from the near-record low 16 percent rating in March and just a few ticks above the 14 percent approval rating in July 2008.
This year's dismal approval ratings don't bode well for President Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress in November, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said. In the last five midterm elections in which Congress's approval ratings at the time of the election were below 40 percent, the president's party lost an average of 29 seats.
Conversely, Gallup said less seat change was noted when Congress's approval ratings topped 40 percent.
Results are based on nationwide telephone interviews of 1,014 adults conducted June 11-13. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.
