One dynamic of abortion politics often lost in the coverage is the fact that a broader swath of young voters are more animated by it than older voters, which can seem counterintuitive given that some older Americans actually remember pre-Roe v. Wade times.
But recent polling suggests support for abortion among voters aged 18-34 is both higher and more fierce in the wake of news that the Supreme Court is poised to overturn the ‘70s-era legal precedent. That fact also presents Democrats with a golden opportunity to engage a younger cohort of Americans who have soured on Joe Biden’s presidency.
Civiqs tracking on abortion shows that registered voters favor abortion being legal by 20 points: 58% legal, 38% illegal. But below is the breakdown by age group.
Support for abortion being Legal/Illegal by age group
Age |
legal/illegal |
Net support |
18 — 34 |
66%, 30% |
+36 |
34 — 49 |
61%, 36% |
+25 |
50 — 64 |
53%, 42% |
+11 |
65+ |
51%, 44% |
+7 |
Recent CNN polling also shows the younger cohort feels more passionate about the issue. CNN's Ariel Edwards-Levy notes that among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, a law establishing a nationwide right to abortion has nearly equal levels of support with those younger than 45 (81% of whom support it) and those 45 and older (84% favor it).
Christina Reynolds, VP of Communications at EMILY's List, talks about spending $150 million to center abortion rights in this November’s elections on Daily Kos’ The Brief podcast
But, she adds, "67% who are younger than 45 say they’d be angry if the Roe vs. Wade decision were overturned, compared with 54% of those 45 and older."
In other words, younger voters are more passionate about the issue, perhaps because they view it as one of many along a continuum of justice issues related to race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality that animates younger generations of Americans.
Newly released CBS News/YouGov polling also found that women under 50 see immediate real-world consequences beyond abortion bans, with 66% saying the fall of Roe will lead to more restrictions on birth control.
For Democratic voters under 45, abortion is also a litmus test issue, writes Edwards-Levy, with 41% saying they would only vote for a candidate who shares their views while only 22% of older Democratic voters say the same.
Tellingly, that same group of young Democratic voters were only half as likely as their older counterparts to express excitement about voting in this year's midterms, 13% versus 26%.
Democrats have an opportunity here to gin up turnout among younger voters by treating this historic GOP attack on abortion rights with the same sense of urgency for which young voters feel the moment calls.
Senate Democrats seem to get it. Women in the Senate Democratic caucus have been especially apoplectic, fiery, and on point. Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer has also moved quickly to take a vote on codifying Roe into federal law that will put every U.S. senator on record for or against abortion rights.
Democratic swing-state governors and gubernatorial candidates have also acted urgently on the matter. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan penned a New York Times op-ed Monday underscoring the peril of the moment we are living through.
"There is," she wrote, "a very real danger that in a few short years, with complete control of the federal levers of power, anti-choice, anti-women extremists could enact a federal abortion ban, which could abolish abortion nationally, regardless of state law. This is not theoretical—it is their endgame."
Urging Democrats to think outside the box on a response, Whitmer added, "the answer to the overtly political ruling of a supposedly apolitical, unelected body is to engage in every way and at every level. The answer is to get creative."
We need the White House to get creative in this political moment, whether through legislation, executive action, or an orchestrated campaign to define the stakes, offering voters of all ages—but particularly young voters—both a choice and a better future by voting for Democrats.
Choosing to ignore the anger and dismay bubbling up from the Democratic base would be unadulterated political malpractice at a time when this country is desperate for leadership.