Americans are less enamored of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, voicing doubt about her leadership skills and understanding of complex issues, a poll indicates.

Results of a Washington Post-ABC News poll released Friday indicate 53 percent of respondents view Palin negatively while 40 percent see her positively, her lowest level in the poll since she burst onto the national scene last summer as Republican Sen. John McCain's running mate in the presidential election.

While still popular within the GOP, the poll indicated Palin has slipped a bit among Republicans generally and among white evangelicals, a critical voting bloc for the party.

Palin will leave office Sunday, resigning during a picnic in Fairbanks with about 18 months remaining in her first term. She has said she intends to campaign for other similarly minded candidates amid speculation that she could seek the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.

Fifty-seven percent of Americans said they don't think Palin understands complex issues, while 37 percent said she does, poll results indicated.

Concerning her leadership skills, 54 percent of respondents say Palin is not a strong leader; 40 percent say she is.

Poll results indicated Democrats still hold negative opinions of Palin, with more than three-quarters expressing unfavorable views.

The nationwide poll of 1,001 people was conducted July 15-18. The margin of error is 3 percentage points.