Majority of Voters Support A Woman’s Right to Choose, National Poll Finds

May 22, 2019 by Dan McCue
Majority of Voters Support A Woman’s Right to Choose, National Poll Finds

A majority of American voters believe the U.S. Supreme Court was right in 1973 when it ruled in Roe v. Wade that women have a constitutionally-protected right to have an abortion, and most also believe the current generation of justices will uphold that ruling.

Those are just some of the findings in the a Quinnipiac University National Poll released Wednesday.

What’s more the poll found 28 percent of voters believe abortion should be legal in all cases, a percentage that matches the highest level of support for access to abortion in all cases since the university first asked the question in 2004.

Another 32 percent say abortion should be legal in most cases.

The poll also found that 27 percent of voters believe abortion should be illegal in most cases, while 8 percent say it should be illegal in all cases, the lowest level of support ever for that position.

Abortion has exploded as an issue this spring as conservatives in several states — Alabama, Georgia and Missouri, among them — have imposed some of the strictest limits on abortions in decades in the hope that a more conservative U.S. Supreme Court will repeal Roe V. Wade and limit women’s abilities to make their own reproductive decisions.

But the latest Quinnipiac University National Poll conducted between May 16 and 20, and has a margin of error of +/- 3.7 percentage points, found the conservatives are out of step with the majority of Americans.

For instance, the pollster found 65 percent of voters agreed with the high court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, and only 27 percent disagreed with the decision.

The only group of people found to disagree with the decision were Republicans, 58 percent of whom said the court had gotten the decision wrong compared to 34 percent who agreed with the court.

By 57 – 29 percent, American voters do not think the Supreme Court is likely to overturn Roe v. Wade in the next few years.

“There is little ambivalence as recent legislation in Alabama, Missouri and other states renews an emotional national debate over abortion,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

“Americans are in agreement on upholding one of the country’s most contentious rulings, and in the nightmarish scenario of rape or incest, party lines fall away in support of allowing abortions,” he said.

An overwhelming number of voters, 82 percent, said that abortion should be legal when pregnancy is caused by rape or incest. Here, Republicans also agree, 68 percent to 25 percent.

Forty-eight percent of voters oppose banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detectable, but here a gender difference emerged, with 51 percent of women opposing such a ban compared to 45 percent of men.

Forty percent of voters said the Supreme Court should make it easier for a woman to get an abortion, while 36 percent said the court should make it harder to do so.

On another note, 55 percent of American voters said the Supreme Court is motivated mainly by politics in making its decision, while 38 percent believe it is motivated mainly by the law.

Sixteen percent of respondents say the court is too liberal, while 35 percent say it is too conservative. Thirty-nine percent say the court is “about right,” the pollsters said.

A total 1,078 voters nationwide were surveyed for the latest Quinnipiac University Poll, which was directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D.

A+
a-
  • abortion rights
  • poll
  • Quinnipiac University National Poll
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Civil Rights

    College Swimmers, Volleyball Players Sue NCAA Over Transgender Policies

    ATLANTA (AP) — Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among more than a dozen college athletes who filed a lawsuit... Read More

    ATLANTA (AP) — Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among more than a dozen college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on Thursday, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing transgender woman Lia Thomas to compete at the national championships in... Read More

    March 6, 2024
    by Natalie McCormick
    Lawmaker Trying to End Missouri’s Ban on Divorce for Pregnant Women

    JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A state lawmaker from Kansas City is trying to overturn a longstanding law in Missouri that... Read More

    JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A state lawmaker from Kansas City is trying to overturn a longstanding law in Missouri that prevents pregnant women from getting a divorce. As it currently appears on the books, the law bars judges from finalizing a request for a divorce or... Read More

    January 29, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    HHS Civil Rights Office Issues Guidance on Religious Non-Discrimination

    WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights has issued guidance to U.S. hospital and... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights has issued guidance to U.S. hospital and long-term care facility administrators, reminding them of their facility’s obligation not to discriminate on the basis of religion. The warning comes at a tense time across... Read More

    Florida Republicans Oust State Party Chairman Facing Rape Allegations

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Republican Party of Florida ousted Chairman Christian Ziegler in a special vote on Monday as... Read More

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Republican Party of Florida ousted Chairman Christian Ziegler in a special vote on Monday as police investigate a rape accusation against him, a vote that came the week before Gov. Ron DeSantis competes in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucus. The party suspended Ziegler last month and... Read More

    Ohio’s GOP Governor Vetoes Ban on Gender-Affirming Care and Transgender Athletes in Girls' Sports

    COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a measure Friday that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors, casting... Read More

    COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a measure Friday that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors, casting the action out of step with many in his own party as thoughtful, limited and “pro-life.” He simultaneously announced plans to move to administratively ban transgender... Read More

    December 13, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    Supreme Court to Review Abortion Medication Dispute

    WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it will review a dispute over the popular abortion medication mifepristone, a... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it will review a dispute over the popular abortion medication mifepristone, a move that could have a sweeping impact not only on its use going forward, but also on the regulatory authority of the Food and Drug Administration.... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top