Majorities of voters in six key battleground states do not want to criminalize abortion before the fetus is viable. According to a poll It was released on Wednesday.
A survey by the University of Maryland's Program on Public Consultation found that bipartisan majorities in Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin do not want abortion before a fetus is viable to be criminalized.
Democrats have leaned heavily toward abortion in this election, and reproductive rights have been front and center in politics in the two years since a conservative Supreme Court majority ended Roe v. Wade.
Support for criminalizing abortion at any stage of pregnancy ranges from 7% to 13% in battleground states and from a low of 10% to a high of 25% among Republicans. Nationally, support stands at 11%, the survey found.
The numbers in Nevada and Arizona bode well for both states, which support ballot measures that would protect access to abortion until the fetus is viable and prevent states from criminalizing abortion. In both states, at least 69% of Republicans and 90% of Democrats oppose criminalizing abortion.
Before making their decision, respondents were informed that criminalizing abortion could result in prison sentences or fines for doctors, women, or both. Pollsters presented “strong arguments” for or against criminalizing abortion and told respondents that if they chose to criminalize abortion, they could choose who would be punished.
Additionally, the poll found that majorities of voters of both parties in every battleground state except Republican Nevada support federal laws restricting abortion.
This contradicts the messaging of former President Trump, who argued that the end of Roe allowed states to determine abortion policy, whether through legislation or voting.
Majorities of both parties nationally and in battleground states said they support policies aimed at reducing unwanted pregnancies and abortions through access to contraception, such as requiring education about contraception in all public schools. At least 74 percent of Republicans in every battleground state said they would support such policies.
