From Sean Cockerham in Anchorage ---

Take this for what you will, since it is the only poll of Sarah Palin I’ve seen in weeks and no other pollster has reported numbers dropping this low for the governor. But a new poll from Hays Research in Anchorage says Palin now has 54 percent positive and 41. 6 percent negative approval ratings in Alaska.

If true, it's a dramatic change from the 86 percent positive and just 9 percent negative Hays reported in a poll on Palin almost exactly a year ago.

The new survey was a statewide poll of 400 people on May 4 and May 5.

That’s a smaller sample size than some statewide polls we've seen but the same as earlier Hays polls that have tracked Palin over time. Margin of error is listed at 4.9 percent.

UPDATE -- Here's a link to the poll.

Hays asked “please tell me whether you have a positive or negative opinion” of Palin?” Then – “Is that very positive/negative or somewhat positive/negative."

Here are the results:

Very positive 30.5
Somewhat positive 23.5 percent
Somewhat negative 16.8 percent
Very negative 24.8 percent
Don't know/Didn't answer 4.5 percent

The firm’s earlier Palin polls are on its web site also.
The last poll, from March 24 and 25, found Palin’s positive ratings were at 59.8 percent and negatives at 34.9 percent.

Palin has experienced setbacks since – notably the Legislature’s rejection of Wayne Anthony Ross as her appointee for Alaska attorney general. But the poll didn’t include questions on how people feel about specific actions.

Anne Hays said the firm paid for these questions itself. The new poll also asked about Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who has been enjoying high ratings. Here are the Murkowski numbers:

Very positive 33.2 percent
Somewhat positive 42.8 percent
Somewhat negative 12.5 percent
Very negative 5.5 percent
Don't know/Didn't answer 6.0 percent

UPDATE --- Here's commentary on the poll in the liberal Huffington Post and at Conservatives4Palin.