Poll: Over half of U.S. voters say abortion is "very important" for midterms elections
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, 55% of voters say abortion is a "very important" issue to consider when deciding how to they will vote in November's midterms, up from 46% in February, according to a new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The big picture: While abortion is a motivating issue for some voter groups, it's eclipsed by inflation, including rising gas prices, which 74% of respondents say is "very important."
Yes, but: "Lower-turnout midterm elections can be a game of inches, and abortion could make a difference, especially if gas prices continue to fall,” KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said.
- “It’s motivating a lot of younger women to vote, and most Democrats, half of independents and even some Republicans plan to vote for candidates who support abortion access.”
By the numbers: 77% of Democratic voters said they considered abortion to be a "very important" issue, an increase from 50% in February.
- For Democratic women, the number increases to 82% post-Roe, from 55% in February. Approximately three in four (73%) women voters of reproductive age, 18-49, say abortion is a "very important" issue.
- The number has decreased for Republican women: 60% in February said abortion access was "very important, and now 44% say the same.
Other numbers: Around 54% of voters said the demise of Roe has made them "more likely" to consider a candidate's stance on abortion, while 3% it has made them "less likely" to do so.
- The KFF survey also found that 61% of the public says they want their state to protect abortion access, while 25% want their state to ban it.
Worth noting: 43% of all voters said the ruling made them "more motivated" to vote, including 72% of Democrats and 56% of independents — an important number to consider as Democrats face the threat of losing both houses of Congress this fall.
Methodology: This KFF Poll was conducted July 7-17 in English and Spanish. This poll is based on a nationally representative sample of 1,847 U.S. adults.
- The margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points for the full sample.
