Abortion support has risen to historic levels in the wake of the Supreme Court’s gutting of abortion rights in Dobbs v. Jackson. And now, a new poll shows that the overwhelming majority of Americans, including Republicans, are pro-choice. They also think politicians are unqualified to enact legislation about abortion.
A 19th-Survey Monkey poll surveyed 20,000 American adults in late August about their opinions on a wide range of political issues, not just abortion. Here’s what the data show:
- 31% of Americans think abortion should be legal in all cases—more than three times as many as the 10% who think abortion should be illegal in all cases.
- 30% think abortion should be legal in most cases, and 25% think abortion should be illegal, but with exceptions. This means that 86% of Americans favor abortion in at least some circumstances, and do not support highly restrictive anti-abortion measures.
- 70% of Americans say politicians are not sufficiently informed to make decisions about abortion—a figure that was consistent among Democrats and Republicans. The belief that politicians are unqualified to make abortion decisions is core to pro-choice politics.
- 86% of Democrats and 65% of independents say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
- People of almost every religious affiliation said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, except for Mormons and evangelicals, a respective 42% and 32% of whom said they support abortion rights.
Another recent poll, sponsored by NPR, PBS NewsHour, and Marist, found that abortion is a top issue for most voters, especially independents. Twenty-two percent of respondents said abortion was their top concern—a number eclipsed only by the 30% who cited inflation.
Seventy-seven percent of Democrats and 58% of independents said the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision made them more likely to vote. The figure for Republicans was 42%.
Although abortion rights support has grown, even years before the Dobbs decision, survey data showed broad support for abortion rights. In 2018, 79% of “Never Hillary” independents supported abortion rights.
Ultimately, public opinion shouldn’t matter, and shouldn’t affect the right of women and pregnant people to control their bodies. But the willingness of politicians to ignore the will of the people, including their own base, speaks volumes.
Gutting abortion rights isn’t just unpopular. It’s anti-democratic.
Here’s a comprehensive roundup of research demonstrating why abortion saves lives, and is critical to everyone’s well-being—not just to women’s health.