As we gear up for November, some fresh polling data on abortion rights could spell trouble for the Republican Party.
Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 abortion law in 2022, the debate around abortion rights has taken center stage in the lead-up to the 2024 Presidential election. The landmark Roe v. Wade decision, which safeguards a woman’s right to choose to terminate a pregnancy without undue government interference, is at the heart of the matter.
In reaction to this ruling, many Republicans have been pushing for tighter restrictions on abortion. However, recent polls have revealed that the majority of Americans believe abortion should be permissible early in a pregnancy.
A new survey of 1,000 voters conducted by the progressive firm Navigator showed that 63% of Americans would not support an elected official who backs a nationwide ban on abortion. Interestingly, even 43% of surveyed Republicans held this stance.
Abortion rights could play a crucial role in upcoming elections, especially with the 2024 presidential polls heating up.
Donald Trump, the likely Republican candidate for the presidency, mentioned in May that decisions on abortion restrictions should be left to individual states rather than imposing a blanket ban nationwide.
“States should be the ones making the call on abortion laws. They could choose to legislate or put it to a vote. It’s up to them,” he stated. “And whatever they decide should be respected and enforced — whether statewide or nationally.”
Navigator Research also surveyed an additional 812 likely voters between May 23rd and June 4th, with a diverse sample of 599 Americans residing in battleground states. The findings indicated that 75% of Americans believe that if Trump won the upcoming election, mailing abortion medications would be prohibited nationwide.
Moreover, 66% of respondents anticipate that women may no longer have access to abortions in their home states, and 64% foresee a nationwide ban on abortions under a Trump administration.
FiveThirtyEight, a polling aggregator, assesses pollsters based on their transparency in methodology and historical accuracy. Navigator Research received a modest transparency score of 3.66 out of 10 and was rated 1.3 stars.