Approval ratings for both state and national elected officials have experienced noticeable declines across Missouri, according to findings from the latest statewide survey released by Saint Louis University and YouGov. The new polling data highlights growing dissatisfaction among the electorate regarding governance, major legislative topics, and upcoming ballot questions heading into the November elections.
The survey collected responses from 900 likely Missouri voters between August 13 and August 24, 2026. With a margin of error of 4.09 percentage points, the poll provides a comprehensive look at the public mood across the state. Conducted twice a year since its inception in 2020, the research measures shifting constituent attitudes on key political figures, economic sentiment, education issues, local data center projects, and ballot propositions.
Among the most prominent findings is the erosion of support for President Donald Trump, whose approval in the state has fallen below the 50% threshold for the first time since the SLU/YouGov poll began tracking it. The August survey revealed that 48% of surveyed voters approve of his job performance, whereas 52% register disapproval, putting the president underwater in a traditionally conservative-leaning state.
This decline marks a consistent downward trajectory from prior survey periods. In February 2026, Trump held a 53% approval rating among Missouri voters, which had already slipped from 56% recorded the previous year. Steve Rogers, the director of the poll and a political science professor at Saint Louis University, pointed out the significance of this milestone, explaining that Trump's net negative standing is unprecedented in the six-year history of the poll.
Missouri's federal delegation has similarly felt the impact of declining constituent sentiment. U.S. Senator Josh Hawley saw his approval rating drop to 47%, representing his lowest score in the poll since 2023. Fellow Republican U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt recorded an approval rating of 44%, a level of support that matches his near-record low, having only dipped lower once before in August 2023.
Institutional confidence in the federal government has also continued to slide. The United States Congress experienced a notable drop in standing, with only 25% of Missouri voters expressing approval of the legislative body in August 2026. This marks a sharp decline from the 33% approval registered in February 2026 and an all-time peak of 41% observed in February 2025, even with Republicans maintaining majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Public perception of the judicial branch has mirrored this downward movement. The United States Supreme Court registered a 45% approval rating among Missouri respondents in the August poll. This figure reflects a steady, multi-year reduction from the 51% approval rating the nation's highest court enjoyed in February 2025.
The discontent recorded in the poll is not confined to Washington, as state-level leadership has experienced comparable drops in standing. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe saw a significant decrease in public backing over a six-month span. Kehoe's approval rating stood at 40% in August 2026, falling ten percentage points from the 50% approval mark recorded in February.
A parallel decline was recorded for the Missouri State Legislature, which saw its approval slip from 51% in February 2026 to 42% in August 2026. This downward movement suggests a widespread cooling of voter enthusiasm toward the actions and policies emerging from the state capitol in Jefferson City.
The shifting political winds have also created an unusually tight contest in the race for State Auditor of Missouri. The survey revealed that voter preferences for the auditor's seat have tightened significantly, falling squarely within the survey's 4.09% margin of error, an uncommon scenario in Missouri's typically stable Republican statewide landscape.
Rogers framed the auditor's race in the context of broader national dynamics, noting that incumbent Republican Scott Fitzpatrick faces the classic headwinds of a midterm election cycle. While Fitzpatrick benefited in 2022 from voter dissatisfaction directed at former President Joe Biden, the political environment in 2026 has reversed, with widespread voter frustration now aimed at the Republican establishment.
Beyond assessing candidate and leadership approval, the survey captured sharp increases in public pushback against technological infrastructure, specifically data centers designed to house computer servers for data storage and transmission. Opposition to these facilities in respondents' local areas surged by 17 percentage points, moving from 51% in February to 68% in August.
To gauge sentiment accurately, the survey implemented a split-methodology test involving two groups of 449 respondents. One group was asked first about building a data center within their local community before evaluating a statewide facility, while the other group answered the statewide question prior to considering local placement, underscoring that resistance is strongest when projects directly impact local neighborhoods.
The poll also shed light on Missourians' viewpoints regarding key measures anticipated for the November 3 ballot. Support for Amendment 3, an initiative seeking to overturn the 2024 voter decision that ended the state's abortion ban, saw its backing contract. Approval for Amendment 3 dropped from 50% in February to 43% in August, while 44% of voters opposed it, leaving the measure in a statistical tie within the margin of error.
Voters also weighed in on Amendment 6, which aims to limit the power of state lawmakers to alter or repeal citizen-initiated constitutional amendments and statutory measures. Under the proposed rule, any legislative modifications would necessitate an 80% supermajority vote in the state legislature followed by statewide voter approval. The poll found 48% support for Amendment 6, though Rogers noted that approximately one-third of the electorate remains undecided.
Finally, the survey explored voter sentiment surrounding Proposition A, which Rogers indicated produced considerable confusion among participants. Taken together, the findings from the Saint Louis University and YouGov poll highlight an increasingly volatile political landscape in Missouri, characterized by falling job approval for entrenched leaders and close divisions on critical statewide ballot decisions.
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